


Some Kind of Monster

by Silent_So_Long



Series: Vampires in Berlin (aka Ramm-pires in Berlin) [2]
Category: Rammstein
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Cover Art, Digital Art, M/M, Revenants, Sexual Content, Vampire Sex, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-23 08:11:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 25,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4869617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silent_So_Long/pseuds/Silent_So_Long
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two vampires, and the aftermath of their return to Berlin</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second in my Vampires in Berlin series. You may need to read the first one ... well, first, (heh) just so you get the back-story of what the dickens is happening in this one.
> 
> Title comes from the song of the same name, by Metallica. 
> 
> This proved to be quite a hard story to write; throughout the majority of it, I was actually suffering from writer's block for some random reason! I don't quite know why. I persisted, anyway and managed to bang out over 25k of words in the end, so it can't have been all that bad, haha. I'm still not a hundred percent happy with the finished work, but I just got so sick of staring at this bloody story, I just thought 'to hell with it; I'll post it anyway.' XD I'm sorry if it sucks. (I think there's a pun in that somewhere ... )
> 
> Updates may not be quite so frequent on this story as they were with the first one (i.e. not daily), but as the story is as finished as it's ever gonna get, it will be posted in its entirety in the end!

[ ](http://s1368.photobucket.com/user/paulchen2/media/some%20kind%20of%20monster_zpsip8fajaf.jpg.html)

Paul sighed, in weary satisfaction as he closed the door firmly behind him; the wooden barrier thunked solidly closed behind him, effectively cutting the cosy confines of the apartment he shared with Richard off from the outside world. Richard himself was already in the apartment, making his way wearily down the corridor towards the bedroom. Paul yawned loudly and followed him, abandoning his suitcases in a heap by the lounge door, next to Richard's hastily, yet still neatly arranged, cases.

“We can sort them out tomorrow night,” Richard offered from the bedroom doorway, despite the fact that Paul had, as yet, to say anything about it.

“Yeah,” Paul offered as a response, head bobbing in a tired nod.

His mouth stretched wide on a yawn, fangs flashing in the light, eyes closing as he shuffled ever closer towards the bedroom door. He collided softly against Richard, and felt the closed trapping of the other man's hands against his hips, steadying him, followed swiftly by the warm huff of Richard’s laughing breath against his cheek.

“Steady, darling,” Richard said, as he pecked a brief kiss against Paul’s cheek.

Paul nodded with a grumbling groan as he pitched forward slightly, to rest his forehead against Richard’s shoulder. He felt the soft slide of the other man’s arms sliding around him, and the press of Richard’s hands against his back as he cuddled him. Paul returned the hug, finding himself relaxing gently against his lover’s body, inhaling sharply at all the scents that made up Richard. He could smell soap and cologne and the faint whiff of blood from Richard’s earlier meal. Paul shuddered against Richard, remembered excitement flooding through his body at the memory of the hunt, the chase, the blood. 

It had been a few hours since they’d left Austria, catching a flight from St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport to Berlin Tegel Airport; the remaining members of Rammstein had flown by day after their recording session in Bezau had ended, leaving Richard and Paul on their own to travel by night. Whilst both vampires had found flying in darkness an exciting, yet not unfamiliar, experience, it still was a necessity for them both; daylight hours were an impossibility and already a distant dream. Both Richard and Paul knew that it would take a while adjusting to what had once been normal life now that they were vampires. The recording studios already felt a remnant of their past, crisp snow-laden mountain air replaced by the familiar heavy smoky fug of Berlin streets. 

Whilst Paul had been sad to leave Austria behind, he still was glad to return home, to familiar streets and the comfort of the apartment he shared with Richard, with the familiarity of knowing where everything was. His stomach was pleasantly full still, warm and laden with the blood he’d taken from an airline steward, ambushed in the Berlin-Tegel toilets. Richard had also eaten before they’d left the airport, yet neither vampire had killed their victims; instead, they’d taken enough to fill hungry bellies, fangs sliding through supple flesh, leaving nothing but a dazed human apiece behind when they’d left them. Although they’d been feeding on blood in the mountains, they’d solely partaken of animals, deer mostly. The airport was the first time that they’d fed on anyone human that wasn’t each other; whilst the attempt was a little fumbling at first, their instincts had kicked in and in the end, Paul had found that it really wasn’t very different to feeding on Richard. 

“It’s good to be home,” Richard said, breaking into Paul’s thoughts as the other vampire flopped heavily upon the bed they shared, socked feet flying high and coming to rest upon the thick carpet again.

Paul hummed in agreement, offering the prone Richard a lazy smile, as his gaze slid over the stretched out body of the vampire that he loved. Richard shifted slightly on the bed, one hand raising heavily from the duvet to settle against the rounded curve of one hip. Paul sighed as he sat heavily beside the other vampire, one hand coming to rest upon Richard’s thigh. His thumb rubbed gently against the softness there, which tautened as Richard moved, with a fresh shift of muscles displayed beneath skin and trouser leg. Richard groaned softly; he pressed one hand against Paul’s back, and caressed his fingers invitingly against him.

“Are you gonna lay down with me, Paulchen?” Richard asked, with just an edge of petulant tiredness pulling at the edges of his words. 

“In a minute,” Paul replied, with a vaguely smile-filled yawn. “I still feel like I’m moving along after all that travelling.”

“Paul, lay with me,” Richard said, even as he laughed at Paul‘s comment. “I want to snuggle.” 

Paul heaved a mock irritated sigh, before he laid down beside his lover, head soon shoring up against the curve of Richard's shoulder. Richard smiled and leant in, to grace Paul’s nose with an impromptu Eskimo kiss. Paul grinned back at him, hands sliding over Richard's hip to rest midway against his back. Richard’s lips were soft against his when the other vampire pressed kisses against Paul’s mouth, hands smoothing caresses against Paul’s body. Paul eased away, eyes already closing in tiredness.

“I’m tired, Reesh,” he murmured as he laid back against the bed, sleepily. “It’ll be sunrise, soon. Starting to hurt a bit.”

“Hmm,” Richard agreed, but he didn’t sound angry to Paul’s ears.

With the advent of the sun, even behind the thick covering of snow-clouds that painted their way across Berlin skies, came the sleep of the undead. They’d discovered that if they stayed awake too close to sunrise, then the minutes burned against their skin, nerves itching and flayed against the daylight hours encroaching. Paul felt the passage of Richard’s sleepy sigh against his cheek, before the sensation passed and he felt no more. He frowned a little; despite the fact that he was already accustomed to not feeling breath upon his skin anymore, except when Richard laughed or sighed, he still found the lack of it a little disturbing on occasion. Richard had long since stopped breathing at all since being turned into a vampire. Even his heart remained still in his chest now, no matter how many times Paul might listen for it or try to find it beneath the cover of his palms and his fingers. Paul was distracted by the sudden gentle tap of Richard's hand against his abdomen and he raised his gaze to that of Richard's.

“We’d best get ourselves changed, before the sun comes up,” Richard said, and his face looked drawn and haggard in the dim lighting. 

Despite the warm pink that the earlier blood had lent to his cheeks, Paul could still see dark shadows ringing their way beneath his lover’s eyes; he nodded, knowing that he couldn’t look much different. He knew that after a good day’s sleep, then they both would feel, and look better, albeit rather blood-hungry. He allowed Richard to pull him to his feet by both hands, after the other vampire had slowly stood, strength that hadn't been there before evident in the long lines of his fingers and in his palms. Paul purposefully banged into Richard, longing to prolong contact with his lover, an impish grin curling the corners of his mouth as he did so. Richard tried to hide his amusement by nudging him away with one shoulder.

“Can’t keep your hands off me,” Richard said. “I know, it is hard.” 

“And you’re modest as well as sexy,” Paul said, drolly. 

“Always,” Richard said, as he yanked a fresh pair of pyjamas from his wardrobe. “We need to get some thicker curtains for the window, you know, Paulchen.”

“Oh Christ, I hadn’t thought of that,” Paul said, as he turned a worried glance to the offending item they already had hanging at the window. “D’you think we should stick something up there now, just in case?”

“Maybe,” Richard grunted, as he began unbuttoning his shirt swiftly. “Let’s get changed, then we can find something.”

Paul nodded, and mirrored Richard's movements, fingers flying over his clothes as they were slowly stripped from his body. He stepped into his pyjamas, even as Richard whistled and cat-called at Paul’s momentary near-nakedness. Paul laughed at him, before they then set about finding the spare duvet cover they kept beneath the bed; amidst much swearing and complaining on Richard's part, they lashed the duvet to the curtain pole with tie-backs to keep the heavy bulk of it in place. Despite their best efforts, the duvet still sagged in the middle; both vampires decided, in the end, that the sag was not enough to truly do either of them any damage.

“We’ll have to snuggle together with the duvet and an extra blanket wrapped around us,” Paul suggested, as he stared balefully at their bed.

Richard nodded, before he turned to collect the extra blanket from beneath the bed; he slipped beneath the covers, before he held the duvet up in an inviting gesture.

“You are invited into the bed, Paulie,” Richard intoned, in his best vampire Count impression. “Please, make yourself at home; you are my most honoured guest.”

“Listen to them, children of the night; what music they make,” Paul countered, as he slid easily into the bed beside Richard. 

Richard chuckled against him, as Paul curled up against his body and allowed the other vampire to settle the bedcovers around them both. Paul yawned, fangs exposed to the light as he did so, as Richard pressed vampire kisses against his neck, fangs leaving gentle nips against his skin; Paul shivered pleasurably beneath the attention, eyes closing and head arching back to allow Richard better access. Richard mumbled out a pleased note against him, fangs sliding in a little deeper into Paul’s waiting flesh. Paul felt the soft lap of Richard's tongue against his throat before the other vampire drew away again, apparently satisfied that he’d staked his claim upon Paul once more. Paul reciprocated the gesture, fangs sliding effortlessly into Richard's throat, drawing away again when he felt the first wave of day-tiredness crashing over him. Richard’s arms were still around him when the sleep of the undead claimed him at last.

****


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing that Paul was aware of when he awoke was of a raging hunger, stomach growling loudly beneath the heavy covers that enveloped him. Richard was still asleep, eyes shuttered and face lax, body too still and too heavy against Paul's. Paul smiled and watched the other vampire for a while, and as such, was aware when life began filtering back into Richard’s body, muscles stirring and quickening, eyelids fluttering until they parted, revealing eyes that were more blue than green in the dimness of their bedroom. Paul was still smiling, even as Richard slid his arm from around Paul’s waist and stretched, fingers splayed and arms held high above his head, fangs exposed to the light as he yawned widely; Richard put Paul in mind of a great cat stretching languidly and luxuriously. The other vampire had the same feline grace, and paid as much attention to detail with regards to his own comfort. 

“What’s so funny?” Richard asked, when he caught sight of Paul’s grin.

“You,” Paul replied. “You’re like a bloody cat, you are.” 

“A cat?” Richard asked, in confusion. “Jesus. I don’t know how to take that, Paul.” 

“It’s a compliment,” Paul said. “I happen to like cats.” 

“Oh, okay, if you say so,” Richard said, with a shrug of broad shoulders. “I’m hungry.” 

“Me, too,” Paul said, and smiled when Richard turned to snuggle against him again, to rub one hand over Paul’s stomach.

Paul closed his eyes and curled into the contact, enjoying the feel of Richard's light and caressing touch against his stomach; the other vampire lifted the nap of Paul’s t shirt to get at the skin beneath.

“Now who’s the bloody cat?” Richard asked, amused. “You’re loving the attention of being petted.”

“Of course,” Paul said, as he snuggled closer, to press a warm kiss against Richard's mouth. “I wouldn't mind if you petted me some more, actually.” 

Richard snorted, yet continued exploring Paul’s body with palm and fingertips, swirling patterns against Paul’s back and sides and stomach. Paul felt the first stirrings of arousal within a few minutes; his dick began to stiffen in his underwear, a fact that Richard soon discovered for himself when his hand finally migrated from Paul's abdomen to his partial erection. Richard laughed at that, but didn’t pass comment; instead, he started to stroke Paul, fingers smooth and confident, knowing just where to touch to make Paul feel good. Paul was a panting mess, by the time that Richard ducked beneath the covers, finally; his hands found and splayed through Richard's hair as the other vampire jostled Paul’s pyjama bottoms down, and felt the first wet pass of Richard's tongue against him.

“Reesh,” Paul said, as he patted Richard’s head to get the other man’s attentions. “Richard, stop a minute.”

“What the fuck for?” Richard asked, and Paul heard a little bit of irritation in his tone. “We’re just getting started.” 

“I know. I want this, but do you think it wise?” Paul asked, as he lifted the covers to stare down into Richard's confused eyes. “Your fangs, Reesh. They might cut my dick.”

“Don’t flatter yourself; you're not that big and besides which, you‘ll heal,” Richard said, with a sudden laugh. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see. Just tell me to stop if I nick you.” 

Paul nodded, a little uncertainly and watched as Richard started taking him into his mouth, lips parting and inching over his erection slowly. Paul groaned as Richard managed to take most of his length inside his mouth and the fit was comfortable. He was minimally aware of Richard's fangs, and only then through an odd sort of pressure against his cock; the sensation wasn't unpleasant, merely strange. He nodded silently at Richard, when the other vampire angled his gaze questioningly up at him. Paul could just see the smirk from around his cock, slightly distorted but there all the same; Richard's head soon began to move again, mouth sucking and laving at Paul’s erection. 

Paul settled comfortably against the bed, letting the covers fall back over Richard again; his hand snarled once more in the other vampire‘s hair, moving in time with the motions of Richard's head bobbing between his legs. Paul’s eyes closed and he moaned, shifted against the mattress beneath him so that he could get a little more comfortable; he spread his legs a little further and he felt Richard shift between them as his movements became faster, tongue flattening and licking against the underside of Paul’s cock. Paul’s moans grew louder as arousal raced through his body, grew stronger and more heated, chest hitching with the moans that fell from between his lips, soon growing into cries of warning that he was about to come, to spill into Richard's mouth and he did, Richard's name ripped from his throat upon release. He felt Richard continuing to suck him whilst he rode the last of his orgasm, tongue lapping and licking at him to remove the worst of the mess once it was over. Richard then wriggled his way up the bed, and when his face appeared from beneath the covers, he wore a smug expression.

“See, wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked, with a chuckle.

“I wouldn’t have called that bad in the slightest,” Paul managed to force out past his lust-constricted throat and Richard laughed outright at that.

Paul closed his eyes when he felt the first brush of Richard's mouth against his own, and smiled into the kiss when the other vampire deepened it; Richard prized open Paul’s mouth with his tongue, before he plunged in to lick at Paul’s fangs and tongue excitedly. Richard shifted and Paul could feel the other vampire’s erection pressed hard against his thigh; his lover’s hand soon descended upon Paul’s hip and pushed encouragingly. Paul settled a little further onto his back, as Richard pulled away, before he manouvred Paul onto his front instead. Paul stuffed pillows beneath his abdomen and waited as Richard left the bed, to collect the lube from the bathroom cabinet. 

Paul waited whilst Richard uncapped the lube and spread it over his fingers, before he felt the first slick press of them against his entrance. Paul wriggled into a better position, even as Richard began to breach him, slowly at first and then thrusting into him when he was certain that he wasn’t hurting Paul. Paul’s mind was blank to anything but pleasure by the time that Richard pulled away, apparently satisfied that Paul was prepared enough; Paul waited until he felt the familiar weight and pressure of Richard's hips aligning with his own, before the other vampire slowly guided himself into Paul. Paul turned his head awkwardly, lips pursed and begging for a kiss; Richard pressed an open-mouthed and dirty kiss against him, before he drew away and thrust in at the same moment. Paul’s cry was immediate and pleasured, hands grappling uselessly at the remaining pillows beside him as Richard continued to thrust into him.

Richard’s mouth nestled in against Paul’s neck, fangs sliding in suddenly in a bright burst of pleasure-pain and Paul cried out, arousal clear in that one wordless formless noise; Richard continued to hold onto him with his mouth as he thrust harshly into Paul, hands digging just as harshly into his body, hard enough to leave bruises. Paul cried out again, pleasure purring deep in his voice, but he couldn't come; it was too soon, and he was too weary. His second climax was weak and dry when it finally came, seconds before Richard's release hit and rolled through his lover’s body and spilled out, fangs still buried deep in Paul’s neck as he did so. Paul’s cries were loud and formless, hands gouging great gashes in the pillows so that foam spilled out of the tears, before Richard eased away, with a satisfied sigh. Paul slumped against the bed again, spent and sated, yet Richard laughed at the mess that Paul had made of the pillows. 

“We need new pillows, now, you bastard,” Richard observed. 

“Your fault,” Paul groaned against the ruin. 

“Mine?” Richard asked still laughing. “Why?” 

“You’re far too good of a fuck, Reesh,” Paul said, with a smile at his lover.

“Well, thanks,” Richard said, dry humour tempering his pleasure. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Hmm,” Paul moaned, eyes closing again in pleasure.

He felt the first press of Richard's lips against the exposed curve of his arm, leaving chuffing kisses against his sex-warmed skin.

“I love you, Paul,” Richard murmured, against him.

“Love ya too, my darling,” Paul murmured in return, a smile curving his lips as he spoke. 

They fell silent then, and the only sound was the clock ticking away the seconds that meant little to either vampire any more. Richard was the first to move, to slide from the bed and to walk confidently through the dark bedroom, fetching clothes from their wardrobes. He threw a pair of black trousers and a matching shirt in Paul’s direction, and the garments flopped awkwardly over his head.

“Is this a hint that I should get up?” Paul moaned, as he moved one hand to push the clothes away from his head.

“Yeah, if you want dinner anytime soon,” Richard said, with a snort. 

“Yeah, about that,” Paul said, as he manouvred himself around to sit, feet pressed flat against the floor. 

“Yeah?” Richard prompted when Paul didn’t immediately speak. 

“We’re gonna have to get used to feeding from people now, aren’t we?” he asked. “That guy at the airport wasn’t just a one-off.”

“We’re gonna have to, if we wanna live, darling,” Richard said, with a snort. “We wouldn’t be very good vampires if we didn’t actually, you know, bite people every night.”

“Jesus,” Paul said, as he scrubbed a hand over his face wearily. “No more animals for us.” 

“And no making any more vampires, if we can help it,” Richard reminded him. “I’m not sharing you with anyone.”

Paul grinned at that, but said nothing; instead, he got to his feet slowly and plucked the clothes that Richard had picked out for him from the bed, before he plucked out his own choice of underwear from his drawer.

****

Richard was waiting for him in the shower when Paul padded into the bathroom a few minutes later, gaze expectant and smile confidently amused as Paul winnowed into the cubicle with him. Paul merely grinned back and jostled for space beneath the jetting waters, as Richard's hands began caressing his hips and butt, gaze raking appreciatively over Paul's body. Paul’s grin was hidden from Richard's view, as the other vampire pressed wet kisses against his chest; Paul’s eyes closed involuntarily as he enjoyed the attentions his lover was bestowing upon him, hands slowly caressing and exploring Richard's body in turn. Richard sighed deeply against Paul’s neck but said nothing, merely reached for the shampoo and began to scrub a handful of it playfully into Paul’s hair. Paul’s laughter echoed queerly from the tiled walls, yet he allowed Richard his fun and waited while the other vampire washed his hair for him. Richard was laughing as well, by the time that Paul returned the favour, fingers digging against Richard's scalp as he washed the other vampire’s hair, Richard's arms an anchoring weight against his waist.

Their hands soon moved to smear soap against each other’s bodies, laughter giving way to smiles, to satisfied sighs when the ablutions were over. Paul was the first to emerge from the cubicle, yet he didn’t have the time to use the towel he’d plucked from the rail over the radiator before Richard plucked it from his hands and began studiously drying Paul's body. Paul wriggled away yet Richard was insistent; it seemed that he was in one of his more playful moods that night, and so, Paul was eager to play along, too easily captured again when he tried to squirt away. His eyes closed as Richard began to methodically dry him, hands roving everywhere until Paul was dry; as Richard straightened, he left a trail of kisses against Paul‘s clean skin, against his thigh, upon his hip, his abdomen, his chest, neck and finally mouth..

Paul plucked another towel from the rack, and applied as much attention and enthusiasm to Richard's body as Richard had displayed for his, hands stroking and caressing as much as drying. Richard was all but purring beneath Paul’s hands, eyes closed, lips parted appreciatively by the time that Paul laid a kiss there. Paul was the first to leave the bathroom after the kiss had ended, to lead Richard into the bedroom, to the clothes that they’d left stretched out upon the bed.

They dressed then, and placed heavy coats around their bodies, scarves twined around throats closely to keep out a cold that they never would feel again. Both men, since turning into vampires, had discovered that they no longer could feel extremes in temperature; all sensations felt much the same against undead skin, and undead nerve endings. Still, however, to appear more human to their victims, they’d decided to still at least look the part; Richard, in particular, had insisted that he still dress in what Paul often called his ‘Sunday Best.‘

The door to the apartment clicked firmly shut behind them and Paul waited whilst Richard locked it; Richard pocketed their keys and smiled grimly at Paul in the close confines of the corridor that separated their apartment from the one opposite.

“Are you ready for this, Paulchen?” he asked, in a voice that seemed pitched too low and too intimate for their current surroundings. 

Shadows formed beneath his eyes, when he tilted his head forward, placed there by the harshness of the light that shone down upon them, bleaker and less cosy than the lighting that they sued in their own apartment. 

“Not really, but we need the sustenance,” Paul pointed out. 

Richard nodded, before he extended one hand silently towards Paul; Paul took it and felt the slightest tug against his fingers, as his lover began to lead the way outside their apartment building. The ride down in the elevator was silent, both vampires wrapped up in their own thoughts, heads bowed beneath the weight of doubts that spun through twin vampiric minds. The elevator finally reached the ground floor, and the vampires made their way through the lobby and out into Berlin streets. The wind had picked up during the day, and now sent flurries of snowflakes scurrying and whirling down the street, to shore up against the drifts that had already formed. Paul followed Richard’s lead, sheltering in the broader mans’ shadow slightly. He tucked his chin into the shade of his scarf, more for the protection from the wind than through any true feelings of being cold; the wind had blown too many flakes against his fangs, and whilst his body was not aware of the temperatures, his gums and teeth certainly were. 

They made their way to the Tiergarten, which was mostly blissfully empty at that time of night, inhabited by only the bravest or most desperate of people. A few homeless people were shored up beneath the trees, staring balefully out at the passing vampires, as though they were the ones to blame for the state of the weather. Richard and Paul kept on walking; despite the fact that the homeless had taken shelter beneath the trees, they still were too on show if anyone decided to pass. They struck lucky as they made their way further beneath the trees; two hardy lovers were ensconced in a tryst in the Englischer Garten, entwined before where the roses would have bloomed if it were spring. Now, the rose brushes were nothing more than a sorry straggle of bare branches reaching for the sky, covered in clumps of snow, sole witness to the tryst that was happening before them.

Richard and Paul shared a glance; no one else was around and the lovers were sufficiently shielded enough from immediate view for them to risk taking a bite. On silent feet they skated forward, hands reaching and grasping and connecting with soft flesh, vampiric eyes entrancing and hypnotising the humans into quick and still submission; hours of ensnaring deer in the Austrian forests helped them to trap their prey. Humans, it turned out, were just as susceptible to being entranced as the deer. Fangs arced through the air and connected with soft flesh, sinking in and bright life’s blood welled forth, filling the mouths of vampires and swilling over hungry tongues. Paul and Richard both took enough to sate their hunger before they ghosted on, leaving behind two bemused lovers, staring fixedly into space for an indeterminate time.

“Think they’d remember anything in the morning?” Paul asked, with a laugh that sent sudden plumes of breath arcing up into the night sky.

Those plumes lasted as long as his laughter did, trailing away to be replaced no more; Paul didn’t breathe. 

“I doubt it,” Richard said. “They'd probably think they were on the receiving end of some pretty strange hickeys.”

This last was accompanied by a tap of fingers against his scarf covered throat; Paul laughed again but he otherwise remained silent. They continued on their way through the Tiergarten, ensnaring and feeding on another two victims before they felt sated enough to return home. The walk through Berlin streets was filled with a rosy glow, vision and bodies filled with bloody contentment, and Richard, whenever Paul glanced in his direction, looked relaxed, calm, with a smile curving the corners of his lips. The other vampire looked in Paul’s direction when he realized that Paul was watching him, one dark eyebrow raised in silent question.

“Stop a minute, please, Reesh,” Paul said, snagging Richard's sleeve and waited for the other vampire to stop.

The Brandenburger Tor arched over their heads, a silent sentinel which had seen so much yet gave out none of its secrets as to how much it actually had borne witness to. Paul felt a sense of history permeating the air, silent, deadly, heavily weighing down upon his shoulders. He shivered pleasurably, even as Richard's head tilted to the side, both eyebrows raised now in silent question as he regarded the other man. 

“Just shut up and kiss me,” Paul said, even though Richard had, as yet to say a word. 

Richard laughed at that and allowed the other man to snag one hand against the back of his neck, to gently manouvre his head down to Paul’s; Paul pressed his lips against Richard's, mouths locking in a gentle kiss, Richard's hands shoring up against his hips. He hummed pleasurably into the kiss, felt Richard's returning smile against him, before he pulled away.

“Lovely,” he said, in satisfaction.

“I know I am,” Richard said, with a bright grin at Paul. 

Paul merely laughed and shoved at Richard's shoulder hard enough with his new and improved strength to actually drive the other vampire back a step or two. They were both still laughing as they began to walk again, turning their steps towards home once more.


	3. Chapter 3

****

The weeks passed and the weather turned colder still; the nights began to be filled with the sight of vari-coloured Christmas lights decorating every shop window, stretched across every street and wrapped around myriad giant pine trees that sent woodsy aromas out across the snow filled air. Richard and Paul grew used to the hunt and the chase of humans; whilst it was different in nature to the hunt of deer whilst they’d been recording, in some respects it was easier. Humans actually proved, easier to ensnare, to hypnotize and subdue with vampire gazes; they held still and what once had been an inconvenience, became instinctual, as vampire needs and wants overrode the human squicks that had plagued Richard and Paul both at the beginning. 

They bought a pair of thick blackout curtains from eBay, coupled with heavier blankets and duvets to wrap themselves up in during the day; neither vampire were harmed during their day long sleep of the dead. The rest of the band popped round on occasion, to see how they were getting along, never staying for more than half an hour at a time. Time continued to pass and Richard and Paul grew contented ... until the accident happened.

****

“Oh, hallo, Till; come to see us, have you?” Paul asked, as he grinned into the face of the taller man standing outside in the corridor. 

“No, Paul; I’ve come to see your damned landlord about a dog,” Till said, as he padded his way into the apartment at Paul’s gesture. 

“No dogs allowed here, Till,” Richard yelled from the apartment‘s small utility room, next to the kitchen.

“I swear I’m never gonna get used to that, you know,” Till said, with a disturbed expression upon his face. 

“Used to what?” Paul asked.

“Your’s and Richard’s sonar hearing,” Till replied. “It’s not normal.” 

“We’re vampires, Till,” Paul reminded him, and not for the first time. “We stopped being normal a couple of months ago.” 

“When were you ever normal?” Till muttered.

“I heard that,” Paul grumbled. “And so did Richard. Didn’t you, Reesh?”

“Witness,” Richard agreed, as he popped from out of the utility room, amidst the scent of freshly laundered clothes. 

“Fucking gang up on me, then, the both of you; see if I care,” Till said, but his grin took the edge off his supposedly angry tone. 

“I thought you’d be used to that,” Paul said, as he trailed after Till into the kitchen. “Help yourself, why don’t you?”

Till had opened the fridge door and was leaning into it, a thoughtful expression upon his face. 

“Your fridge is bare,” Till said, as he slammed the door again. “Who has a bare fridge? Are your cupboards as empty?”

“We don’t need food or drink, Till. Why would we need to waste money on it, if we don’t need it,” Richard said, as he watched Till make the rounds of the cupboards. 

“For guests, perhaps?” Till asked, as he slammed door after door closed in disgust. “People still need to eat, even if you don’t.”

“Well, get some pizza or some currywurst or something on your way home, then,” Richard replied, with a tut. 

“Huh, getting rid of me already,” Till muttered, but there was no real rancour behind his tone.

Instead, a soft grin slightly warmed his face as he leant back against the work-surface and observed the two vampires standing before him.

“Actually, I’m not gonna be here long,” he said. “I popped round because neither of you ever answer your damned phones. And I’m fully aware that you’re dead during the day, before you say anything.” 

“That’s discrimination, right there, did you hear that, Reesh?” Paul asked, as he turned a tired, and strained, grin upon his partner. “Blatant discrimination.” 

Richard merely snorted, but didn’t take his gaze from Till. 

“So, what was it that you wanted to ask?” he asked, with a decidedly cool undertone to his question.

“I’m having a party at my place next week, for Christmas. On Thursday, actually. I wondered if you’d be interested in coming?” Till asked. 

“Are you sure you’d want us there, Till?” Paul asked, uncertainly. “Not scared we’d rip into one of the guests or something?”

“Now who said anything about that?” Till asked, and he looked genuinely surprised at that. 

“Flake still doesn’t entirely trust us,” Paul pointed out and Richard made a soft sound of agreement beside him. 

“Well, you know what Flake’s like,” Till said, with a sigh. “Don’t take any notice. Are you coming or not?” 

“What d’you think, Paul?” Richard asked, as he turned to his partner. “Fancy a night out with the boys, for a change?”

“Why not?” Paul asked, with a shrug. “It’ll give us a chance to catch up, I suppose.” 

“We’ll come,” Richard agreed as he returned his gaze back to Till once more. “What time?

“I dunno. What time do you two get up these days?” Till asked, with a shrug. 

“About half eight or nine-ish,” Paul replied. “Darker evenings, lead to earlier rising times.” 

“That is so fucking weird,” Till said, with a snort of disbelief. “Just so you know.”

Paul sighed, and beside him, he could feel the tension liberally thrumming through his partner’s body. He sighed again and groped for Richard's hand, fingers finding and squeezing at his lover’s; he tried to direct a calming smile at Richard, but it didn’t seem to work. Richard’s jaw was still tense, eyes snapping with a deep-seated anger, but Paul was glad to see that the other vampire was trying to keep his temper in check for once. Paul raised Richard’s hand and dotted kisses against the other man’s knuckles, which provoked a smile at least, when some of the kisses began to tickle. 

“We’ll be there at nine thirty,” Paul said, when the silence stretched on for a little too long and slid into near awkwardness. “If that’s okay with you, Till.”

“Fine, I suppose. It‘s not like either of you can be expected to do anything about it; your rules, not mine,” Till said, and there was a tension in his voice that attracted Paul’s attention back to the vocalist again. “Your boyfriend’s not gonna attack me, is he?”

“His boyfriend is still in the room,” Richard pointed out. “Kindly don’t talk round me like I don't exist.”

“Fine,” Till said, with a laugh and upraised hands. “So, are you gonna punch me? Because it certainly looks that way to me.”

“We didn’t ask for this shit, you know, Till,” Richard said as he flashed fangs briefly in the light. “We’re dealing with this the best way we can. We know we’re weird, we know we have weird waking hours, but we’re stuck with what we are, for eternity, pretty much. We can‘t escape this any more than you can, apparently, but we‘re trying to cope, instead of making smart-arse comments all the time, y‘know?” 

“And I said, fine,” Till repeated. “I think you’re being a little sensitive.”

“Try being in our shoes for one night and then we’ll see who’s being sensitive,” Paul said, quietly. “There’s only so many dead guy jokes a person can take, before they start getting annoying.” 

Till shook his head, but he did at least have the grace to look contrite. 

“I suppose I can see as to how it would,” he admitted, slowly. “But you’ve gotta give us time. We’ve got to get used to this shit as much as you guys have. I know we make some pretty crude comments, at times, but it’s still a novelty, of sorts, to us. You’ve gotta admit that it is a little funny, having two vampires in the band.”

“Whilst I don’t like being called a novelty, Till, it just adds to the image, I suppose. Besides, when has Rammstein ever done anything by halves?” Paul said, soothing Richard's knuckles again with his thumb. 

He’d felt Richard tense when Till had passed their situation off as nothing more as a fleeting fancy, a novelty to be examined, scrutinised, and made fun of, yet whilst his partner did not relax immediately, Paul was glad for the fact that Richard didn’t speak, either. 

“Hmm. Anyway, yes, in answer to your earlier question, nine thirty will have to be fine. Just make sure that you eat before you come; I don’t want you ripping into any of the guests,” Till said. “Your words not mine, before you start in on me, again.”

“We’ll make sure we eat,” Richard gritted out, before Till nodded in satisfaction.

“Super. Well, we'll all be there, then. I would say bring a date, but you are each other’s dates,” he said, with a laugh.

Silence fell as thick as the snow outside as Till’s laughter petered out; he shifted uncomfortably before he coughed into one swiftly raised fist.

“Well, I’d best be off,” he said, to fill the unsteady silence. “I need food and drink, considering you have nothing of either for me here.” 

“Okay,” Paul said, quietly and didn’t try to stop Till as the vocalist made his way to the kitchen door. 

“Don’t forget, nine thirty next Thursday,” Till said, brightly. “Wear your best clothing.”

“Yeah,” Richard said. “Just make sure you don’t make either us of us feel uncomfortable?” 

“I’ll try,” Till said, seriously. “I realise it is hard on you guys. I’m sorry, but it’s hard for us too. We hardly see you and it’s hard knowing ... what you are and what you eat now.”

“We know. It’s weird. It’s bizarre and so are we. Deal with it, ‘cos it ain’t going away,” Paul said, as he followed Till from the room.

He was unsurprised to find that Richard deigned to follow them; Till called out a goodbye to Richard as soon as he reached the door, knowing that the vampire would hear him even if he’d whispered it. Richard barely called back a response, but Paul tried to smile all the same. 

“See you,” he said, and Till nodded, awkwardly before turning to leave.

****

“Why the hell do we have to put up with this shit, Paul?” Richard raged almost as soon as Paul had returned to the kitchen.

“We have no choice, darling,” Paul said, soothingly. “I know it’s hard and I don’t like it any more than you do, but Till’s right. It’s hard on everybody. We’ll just have to learn to ignore any awkwardness and stupid comments, no matter how hurtful they are. They’re just being human and they don’t understand.”

Richard grunted and continued to stare blindly at the snow racing past the kitchen window, each flake seeming to want to hit the ground faster than its flaky brethren. 

“We still have each other. I understand,” Paul offered, softly, fearing that his attempt at reconciliation might be rejected or invoke real anger on his own head.

Richard's head bowed and a deep, anguished sigh issued from his lips, but the glance that he gave Paul was sad, tempered with a wobbly attempt at a smile.

“I know, Paul,” he said. “You try your best, as always.”

“Damn right. Now how about we grab a bite to eat,” Paul said, before he laughed. “Bite to eat. Did you see what I did there, Reesh? Did you?” 

“Shut the fuck up,” Richard said, sharply even as he tried to hide a smile. “No one likes a smart-arse vampire.”

“You like a smart-arse vampire,” Paul Pointe out as he poked his tongue out in Richard's direction.

“No, I don’t like him. I love him,” Richard replied. 

Paul tutted and pretended not to hear.

****


	4. Chapter 4

Paul could still sense the remnants of irritation about Richard even as they left their apartment some time later. It was there to see in every movement, every stalking step that the other vampire took through the streets, in every brush of Richard's hand against his; Richard, as always, led the way, keen sense of smell picking out likely victims, that ebbed away on ghosts of promises, hidden by closing doors of bars and restaurants, or houses. Perhaps his irritation was provoked as much through being constantly cheated by establishments as much as Till’s earlier comments-meant-as-jokes, for when they finally found a couple wandering alone in the Tiergarten, Richard didn’t take as much care as he usually did whilst feeding.

Paul was too consumed with sliding fangs deeply into the female half of the couple, eyes closing against the thrill of blood coursing over his fangs and tongue and throat to pay attention to anything else; eventually, sounds began to filter through and he drew away, to realise that Richard hadn't stopped feeding as soon he usually did, body all but limp and dead in his arms.

“Jesus,” Paul said, surging forward to rip Richard away with strong hands, yet it was too late.

The man was dead before he even hit the ground, body slumped and sprawled awkwardly in wide-eyed staring death upon the ground.

“Richard, what the hell have you done?” Paul said, abject horror sending his voice high and choppy. “What have you done?” 

“Oh fuck,” Richard said, as realisation finally began seeping in and he stared in shock down at the body at his feet. Fuck.”

“What the fuck are we gonna do, Reesh? We were never supposed to kill anyone. We promised each other we wouldn’t,” Paul said. 

“I couldn’t stop, Paul. I was angry and I couldn’t stop,” Richard said. “Why didn’t you stop me?”

“I tried,” Paul said, even as Richard pulled away. 

“We can always change him,” Richard said, as he whirled back, hope blazing in his eyes at the thought.

“Too late, Reesh, He’s already dead,” Paul said, sadly. “He can’t be changed, not without a spark of life in him.”

“It worked for you,” Richard said. 

“But I wasn’t dead, not really, not fully, when you changed me,” Paul pointed out. “It’s too late for him. We can’t bring him back no matter how much we try.”

“We’ve gotta do something,.” Richard said, as he turned away abruptly. “Oh fuck, look out.”

Beside him, Paul’s victim had begun to stir and to slowly slip out of her vampiric inspired trance.

“Now what?” Paul asked, beginning to panic a little.

“You’ve got to kill her, Paul,” Richard said, and hushed Paul sharply when he began to protest. “You have no choice. She’ll reveal what we are to the cops or something and then where will we be?” 

“Fuck,” Paul said, even as he surged forward.

Despite the fact that he didn’t relish the idea of actually killing anyone, he knew that Richard was right and that he had no choice. He entranced her again and bit deeply, copper-blood tang surging over his lips, his chin, his fangs and tongue as he sucked her dry until she was as limp and as dead as her mate upon the ground. He let her fall beside Richard's victim and stared at his lover with wounded eyes.

“There,” he said. “Done. Happy, now?” 

“No,” Richard said, honestly. “But what choice did either of us have?”

Paul wanted to point out that it was only he who had had no choice, but Richard seemed determined to take as much of the blame upon himself as he could. Paul felt a little grateful towards the other vampire for that, misplaced though that blame-taking was; he stared at Richard for a while, yet he knew that there was little else he could say. Richard, also, was tellingly silent. Paul finally turned his gaze down to the corpses lying between them.

“We need to get rid of these, somehow.” Paul pointed out, quietly. “How, I have no idea.” 

“In the river,” Richard suggested. “It’s not far from here. We could weight their pockets with stones or something and then they won’t float.”

“You’ve done this before, surely,” Paul said, only half joking. “Either that or you watch too much TV.” 

“The second one,” Richard said, but he wasn't smiling.

Paul sighed, and almost spoke again, yet the other vampire did not give him a chance to voice his thoughts aloud. Instead, Richard hefted his former victim onto his shoulder and began to walk away, in the direction of the River Spree. Paul sighed again and followed Richard, burdened by his own lolling corpse; he found that she was heavier than she looked. Once they’d reached the boundaries of the river, they crammed the pockets of their pockets with stones, and hefted the pair of them into the freezing waters. They stood upon the riverbank, and watched as the bodies slowly sunk without a trace. Even so, they remained standing there long after the victims had disappeared, until the late hour and imminent sun-rise threatened their continued safety.

*****

Richard was brooding on the way home, shoulders hunched more beneath the weight of his own thoughts than through any potential drop in temperatures. Paul kept silent beside him, worried that if he said anything, it might provoke an attack of angry words to be poured upon his head from his lover. Again, and again, his own thoughts turned to the person he’d killed and his hands carried the sense memories of the dead weight that they'd had to carry. He scrubbed his palms against his jacket again and again, trying to free the skin of the feelings. 

“If you continue doing that, you’ll wear your hands away,” Richard said, eventually, as they finally made their way onto Frankfurter Allee. 

Paul glanced at him, surprised by his lover’s words. Richard wasn’t smiling, however, brows still dragged low and brooding over his eyes. 

“I know,” Paul said, eventually. “It bothers me, too, you know.”

“It shouldn’t have happened,” Richard said, as though it was Paul’s doing that it had happened in the first place. “We agreed to feed, not kill.”

“I know,” Paul said, sharply, retort seeming to bounce with corresponding echoes from the buildings that passed by them on either side. “But it’s done now. It’s in the past and we can’t change that any more than we can change what we are. I wouldn’t have had to kill that poor woman if it hadn’t have been for you.” 

Richard stopped in his tracks and Paul thought for an instant that the other man might lash out at him; he braced himself for attack, chin raised defiantly, but the battle-light drained from his lover’s eyes, leaving only sadness and regret behind. 

“You’re right,” Richard admitted, and that admission looked as though it had cost him a lot. “If I hadn’t been angry at Till, it wouldn’t have happened at all.”

“I know,” Paul said, gentler and calmer than he would have expected. “And as such, we can’t let it happen again. I know it’s annoying having to deal with unpopular opinions, but we’re the unpopular opinion in the band at the moment. We’ll have to get used to that as much as everyone else does. We can’t let it get to us either.”

“I know, darling, I know,” Richard said. “But it’s easier said than done.”

“Don’t I know it,” Paul said, bitterly. “But we’ve gotta try. The others will come around properly in time. Olli and Schneider are already a little over it.”

“Humm,” Richard grunted, darkly.

“Let’s just go home,” Paul pleaded. “I’m not saying we should forget about it, before you say anything; in fact, I think we should remember it, so we don’t ever do anything like that again.”

Richard sighed, and it took a while for him to nod and attempt a smile.

“It was a mistake and a tragic one at that,” he said, grimly. “But yeah, it won’t bloody happen again. I won‘t allow it.” 

Paul nodded and said nothing; instead, he fell into step beside his lover, and smiled when Richard took his hand. That gesture seemed filled with the need for comfort more than anything else, and served as a reminder of the grounding stability of Paul’s continued presence. Paul squeezed his lover’s hand and tried to tell him silently, that he would be there for Richard no matter what happened. He wasn’t sure whether the other vampire realised what the message was or not, but when Paul glanced his way, Richard looked a little lighter and at least had a smile upon his face.

****

Richard was already in bed when Paul crawled wearily into it; Paul nestled up against Richard's body, and laid kisses against the other vampire’s throat and jaw. He didn’t expect Richard to respond, yet was surprised when the other vampire lifted his chin and pressed captive kisses against Paul’s mouth. Each kiss was hard and needy and desperate, as though Richard was drawing strength and comfort from Paul’s body, comfort that Paul was only too willing to give and take in turn. 

He sighed into Richard's mouth when the other vampire wriggled slightly away to lay upon his back, an expectant glare widening Richard’s eyes as he waited. Richard caught at Paul’s hand, guided it between his legs and Paul found that despite everything, Richard was already partially hard. He smiled and didn't immediately do anything.

“Are you sure you want this, now?” he asked.

“I need it, to forget for a while,” Richard said. “I want to be held. I want to be loved, Paul. I’m scared.”

Paul sighed and pressed light nipping kisses against Richard’s shoulder, before he eased away to collect the lube from the bathroom. He returned and saw that Richard still was laying on his back, listlessly staring up at the ceiling, moving only when Paul purposefully made his feet thud against the floor. Ordinarily, his steps were silent and he’d lost count of all the times he’d surprised one or the other of the band with his silent approach and Richard was no different. 

Paul offered up a smile to the other vampire as he slipped beneath the covers once more and took his place between Richard’s legs, which were spread in silent and open invitation. Paul sighed and moved to manouvre Richard onto his back, before he stuffed pillows awkwardly beneath the other vampire‘s soft abdomen; the other man’s hands moved and wriggled and finagled the soft pillows into position still further, with sudden chuckles filtering past skinned-back lips and exposed fangs. Paul leant in once he was between Richard’s legs again, and pressed a quick kiss between his lover’s shoulder-blades.

“I will always love you,” he murmured against Richard's back. “Quite literally.”

“Shut up, you soppy bastard,” Richard murmured into the sole pillow that remained beneath his head.

“I’ll take that as an I love you too, shall I?” Paul asked, cheekily. before he uncapped the lube and began spreading some of the cool liquid over his fingers. 

Richard was patiently waiting for him by the time that Paul began preparing him; Paul waited when he heard the first faint hiss of pain after the first intrusion, before Richard nodded, a slight smile of thanks barely visible upon the other vampire’s partially turned head. Paul continued, fingers moving confidently, brows pulled low as he carefully made sure that Richard was stretched enough for him. Once he was satisfied, and Richard was all but a squirming mass of impatience against him, Paul eased away and rolled on a condom. He positioned himself between Richard's legs again and waited for his lover’s nod again before he began guiding himself in, inch by inch until he was finally fully seated inside the other man. 

He pressed fang-filled kisses against Richard's neck, even as he began to thrust, slowly at first and then harder, rougher, faster, fingers digging harshly into the other man’s hips as Richard begged loudly for more. Paul gave it to him, eyes closing as pleasure burst through his body, and behind his eyes, stripping back everything until nothing was left but the pleasure and the arousal and the feel of Richard pliant and receptive beneath him. He was dimly aware of Richard touching himself, hand moving awkwardly between the trapping weight of his body and the pillows that supported his hips and abdomen, pants of Paul’s name punctuated by pleasured growls and groans. Richard came beneath him, climax sending tight ripples through his body and against Paul, and Paul followed him under, release rolling through him and leaving him with a sense of relief and intense pleasure. He continued thrusting through the last of his orgasm before he eased away, to dispose of his condom and to lay beside the other vampire.

Richard smiled at him, eyes sleepy and languid as he reached out a hand to fold slightly sweat-damp fingers around Paul’s. Paul smiled back before he settled himself against his lover’s body, and nipped kisses against Richard's mouth. 

“Best get cleaned up. The sun’s coming,” he murmured, before he slipped out of bed and away, accompanied by Richard's clumsy protests. 

Paul returned with a couple of damp flannels and handed one to Richard, who took it and began applying the soft wet knap of it against soiled skin and the worst of dirtied sheets. Paul remained standing, wiping at himself diligently, all too aware of Richard’s amused scrutiny with every movement. Paul didn’t speak, and remained silent, even as he took the soiled flannel from Richard’s outstretched hand; he disposed of both in the laundry basket, before returning, to draw the curtains across the window, and to slip beneath the heavy covers with Richard.

****


	5. Chapter 5

Paul awoke to the beginnings of a thrumming headache, that flickered and pressed at the backs of his eyes; he groaned and turned still further into Richard’s dead embrace, head nestling against the other man’s throat as he tried to relax. He yawned, jaw cracking beneath the force of it, as he felt the first flickering of life in the other vampire’s fingertips. Paul tried to relax, to will his headache away, as memories of the dream he’d been having whilst in the realms of the dead tried to re-surface. He had flashing images of staring, dead eyes, grimacing lifeless mouths and pointing accusatory fingers. He shuddered, just as Richard slowly shifted into full awareness, lips smacking together noisily. 

“Morning,” Paul mumbled against Richard’s throat. 

“Paul, it isn’t morning,” Richard mumbled against the top of Paul’s head.

“Good evening, then,” Paul replied, as he rolled onto his back and scrubbed his hand across his eyes wearily. “Jesus, have I got a headache.”

“Last time I checked, I wasn’t Jesus, actually, and therefore, I cannot do anything about your headache,” Richard mumbled, as he, too, rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling.

“Funny, Reesh,” Paul said, dryly. 

“Something tells me you don’t think so,” Richard replied, but at least Paul detected amused warmth in his tone. 

Paul merely laughed, before he said - “Perhaps some fresh blood would do me good. You think I can still take aspirin, or something, by the way?” 

“How the hell should I know?” Richard retorted. “Why don’t you try taking some?” 

“Perhaps,” Paul said, with a shrug that wrinkled the sheets beneath his shoulders. 

He sighed and sat up, eyes wrinkling as the pain rolled over his head and down his body with the motion. He waited until the pain passed, before he swung his feet from beneath the covers, and planted them upon the rug that lay on his side of the bed. 

“Where are you going?” Richard asked.

“Going for a pee,” Paul replied. “Vampires still need a piss on occasion, in case you hadn’t noticed.” 

“Shut up,” Richard said, immediately. “Smart-arse.” 

Paul left Richard with an incomprehensible grunted reply and relieved himself in the bathroom, before he managed to swallow two aspirin dry; he’d already sampled some of the water from the tap and couldn’t keep it down, his vampiric stomach rejecting anything that wasn’t blood. The aspirin however, he managed to just about keep down, but that wasn’t without a great effort on his part. He retuned to the bedroom, feeling marginally better, to find that Richard was sitting on the edge of the bed, yawning widely. 

They took their showers and dressed in companionable silence, and by the time that they took to the streets to hunt for their nightly meal, Paul’s headache had all but disappeared. He wasn’t sure whether the pressure of the shower drumming against his scalp had massaged the pain away, whether it truly was the aspirin he’d managed to choke down, or whether it was his vampiric healing ability or perhaps a combination of all three. He inhaled deeply of the crisp night air, heavy with the scents of cold snow and blood and fumes from the cars; he could smell the heavy scents of onions and of currywurst from a vendor a few blocks away, the yeasty-salt tang of soft pretzels from another street-corner vendor, and the heady scents of pizza from a pizza parlour a few streets beyond that. Richard was looking a little brighter by the time that they made their way beneath the Brandenburger Tor, and on into the Tiergarten; they'd seemingly claimed it as their unofficial hunting grounds, because of ease of hunting and privacy that the trees and bushes provided them. 

They strolled along myriad paths, and partook of a couple calmly eating their currywurst beneath the shade of some bare-boned, bare-branched trees, taking scant shelter from what looked to be imminent snowfall. The saucy sausages fell to the ground, abandoned by vampiric-entranced fingers and victims as the vampires fed, before they moved on, to leave the humans to lament their fallen snacks, and to wonder why they’d even fallen in the first place, minds fogged and all but wiped clean by the stares of the vampire. Richard reached out before they'd’ even made their way to the River Spree, easing Paul away from the sluggish, slow-moving waters with a grimace.

“Let’s not go there,” he said, quietly. 

“Okay,” Paul said, and didn’t object when Richard took him by the hand and led him in the opposite direction. 

It was as they were leaving the Tiergarten, stopping momentarily beneath the arches of the Brandenberger Tor, that they first smelt a horrible stench wafting to their keen noses on slight breezes. It smelt of rotting flesh, cadavers left too long in water, dank and wet and ripe. 

“Have you farted?” Richard suddenly asked, as he wrinkled his nose in strong distaste at the awful smell. 

“Who, me? Jesus, Reesh, my farts don’t smell that bad,” Paul objected. “Bad, I’ll give you that, but not to the point of actual rotting flesh.” 

Richard choked as the smell grew stronger still and he turned on his heel, to scurry out of the stench’s path. Paul didn’t hesitate in following his lover, eager to escape the smell himself. They zig-zagged their way through the streets, back to Frankfurter Allee, yet despite their circuitous route, they still suffered, on occasion, a sulphurous whiff of rotting flesh. On more than one occasion, Paul had the distinct feeling that they were being followed, and felt eyes boring into the back of his head, despite the fact that whenever he turned, he couldn’t see anyone behind them. 

Once they reached the confines of their apartment, the smell faded away, yet Richard still sniffed beneath his armpits once he’d taken his coat off, frowning in suspicion at Paul. Paul objected laughingly when the other vampire crowded in, suddenly, nose hovering close to various points on his body.

“Soap and deodorant,” Richard declared, with a tone that was a mixture of accusation and abject relief.

“Well, don’t sound so disappointed, Reesh,” Paul said, still laughing at Richard's tickling explorations of his body. “I did have a shower before we left. And as far as I’m aware, we don’t smell bad; I think we smell the same as we did while we were alive.” 

Richard hummed but didn’t sound convinced. Paul merely shrugged at him, uncertain as to what else he could say to convince the other vampire that he was right about their scent. He waited for Richard to move into the living area, before he followed him and settled on the sofa with a sigh; Richard picked up one of the acoustic guitars they kept stored there, and settled down beside Paul to strum. Paul settled into a more comfortable position, feet propped up on the footstool, eyes closed in appreciation as he listened to Richard playing.

****

Paul awoke the following evening with a startled cry bursting from between his lips, skin covered liberally with a fine coating of sweat. His chest heaved with unnecessary breaths, gaze locked upon the ceiling, eyes blind and unseeing, thoughts turned inwards and locked on to the nightmares that had plagued his sleep of the undead. He couldn't remember much, other than the sight of two dark blue elongated faces, sightless eyes peering out from beneath the cover of hooded robes, thin grasping hands that poked and railed against his body. Paul didn’t know quite what they wanted; all he could remember was the sense of hatred that had emanated from the twin, ghoulish bodies, that had blazed from those eyes despite the sightlessness of them, and the anger that had simmered and crackled through the air on bright red sparking waves of aggression. A lingering smell of rotting flesh was fading now on dream’s memories, there and gone, replaced by the comforting smells of home and of Richard beside him. 

“Oh, Jesus fuck,” Paul said, finding his voice at last, yet his voice was strained and quite unlike its normal tones. “Oh, sweet Jesus.” 

He scrubbed his hand across his eyes again, as he felt the first stirrings of life quickening in his partner's body; Richard suddenly jerked awake with a sharp, and distressed cry, palms and skin slick with the sweat of fear. Paul could even smell the fear on Richard, sharp and acrid and animalistic. His partner swore, at great length, and Paul fancied that he could almost hear and feel Richard’s heart beating, for the first time in the weeks since their change. Paul dropped his hand far enough away from his eyes so that he could peer over his fingers, before he spoke.

“You, too?” he asked, simply, and didn’t elaborate on what he meant. 

“Fuck,” Richard said, voice high and choppy with the remnants of his fear. “Oh fuck, that was horrible.” 

“Reesh,” Paul said, as he reached out to shake Richard’s broad shoulder firmly. “Did you have a dream, too?”

“Dream? More like a bloody nightmare,” Richard panted out. “It was fucking horrible. I saw something blue and nasty, coming to get us. I thought it was gonna hurt you, Paul.” 

Paul was alarmed by his lover's admission; that Richard’s nightmare echoed his own so closely was remarkable, even though he half-expected it, given Richard‘s reaction upon waking. 

“I think I had the same nightmare, lover,” he said, quietly. 

“That’s not possible,” Richard said, as he turned still-haunted eyes upon Paul.

“I know it isn’t, but I did; that‘s what happened. I wouldn‘t lie about something like that, would I?” Paul insisted. “There were blue faced things in robes, had horrible hands, grasping fingers. They looked like some kind of monster, or something. Ghouls, perhaps.”

“Jesus,” Richard said, as his head thudded back against his pillow, 

Richard’s hair was plastered flat against his forehead, and beads of sweat still glistened on his skin. His throat moved as he swallowed, obviously trying to force some moisture back into his mouth again. The gesture was so human that it almost broke Paul’s heart; human was something that neither man would ever be again. Richard swallowed again and Paul watched his throat bobbing, transfixed now by those simple movements, the curve of Richard's throat, and the skin pulled taut across his Adam’s Apple. He turned away with an effort, blood-craving singing in his veins yet no matter how much he wanted to feed from Richard, he knew that he couldn’t, shouldn't. He was fearful that once he started, he wouldn’t stop, because his hunger was too great and that he couldn’t do that to Richard, couldn’t envisage being trapped in hellish existence without his lover by his side. 

“How is this even possible?” he asked, more as a way to distract himself, and to try and calm himself, so that he could gain control of his bloodlust enough to not kill anyone. 

“I don’t know,” Richard said, and his voice was thick with his fear. “I don’t wanna think about it. I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t,” Paul insisted, as he turned back to Richard again. “No matter how scary it was, it still was only a dream. Admittedly it was a bad dream, but dream nonetheless.”

He sighed and reached up to lay one hand against Richard's chest, soothing him with quiet shushing sounds, and caressing motions of his fingers, moving in huge circles as he did so. He saw that Richard’s fear slowly ebbing away and his eyes lost that crazed look of a few moments before; in trying to distract Richard, Paul managed to distract himself and he found himself able to smile a little again, to dip his head and press a kiss against Richard's shoulder.

“Better, now?” Paul asked, voice kept deceptively low and soothing. 

“A little,” Richard admitted, with a short sharp nod, yet even that seemed to be given grudgingly. 

Paul didn’t know what else to say, to do, so he merely continued stroking the other vampire, gaze following the way his fingers made circles against his lover’s chest, broad and firm beneath the t shirt he wore. His fingers looked pale against the blackness of his partner’s shirt, and deceptively fragile despite the new strength that flowed through his veins. He knew that he could seriously hurt Richard with just one bunch of his fist if he so wished, and he shuddered, drew his hand away, flexed his fingers and let them settle against his abdomen.

“Why did you stop?” Richard asked, as he lifted his head from the pillow to stare accusingly at Paul. “ I was enjoying that.” 

Paul gave him a tight smile and placed his hand back against Richard's chest again; he began to stroke him and tried not to think of destruction and bad dreams as he did so. Richard closed his eyes, lips laxly parted and Paul could feel the effort it took for the other man to relax, as though through some great force of effort. In time, though, the relaxation felt more natural and less forced, and Richard even began to smile again, eyes moving behind fragile eyelids seemingly in time with the motions of Paul’s sweeping fingers.

“Better now?” Paul asked, again.

“Much,” Richard said, and his grin, when it appeared, was bright and genuine. “Thanks, Paulchen.” 

Paul merely huffed and leant in, to press his lips against Richard’s neck. The compulsion to bite his lover was all but gone now, the urge to feed squashed down to a dull ebb in the hinterlands of his belly. He sighed against Richard’s throat, before he spoke.

“Make love to me,” he said. 

“Hmm,” Richard said, by way of agreement.

Their lovemaking that night was slow, and tender, every thrust, every caress well-measured and dragging against willing flesh. Paul arched up into every one of Richard's low and pulling thrusts, mouth open in silent plea for more, for anything and everything, for Richard himself. When he came, it felt like a rushed relief, climax rolling from his body and seemingly transferring itself to Richard, who released with a deep groan of utter completion in the darkness of their room. And when they parted, it was with genuine reluctance, hands and lips dragging in silent pleas and promises of more later, promises which were kept partially beneath the jetting waters of their shower later on . They stood and Richard made love to Paul once more whilst they stood wrapped up in each other’s arms in the cubicle.

****


	6. Chapter 6

“What are you looking at?” Paul asked later that evening, as he buttoned himself into his latest shirt. 

He knew that they soon would have to do more laundry; their dirty clothes were beginning to outnumber their cleaner ones. He leant over Richard's shoulder, at the page that his partner was currently perusing on his laptop. 

“I’m just trying to find anything I can about shared nightmares,” Richard said, with a sudden embarrassed uptilt of his head towards Paul.

Paul raised his eyebrows, but didn’t laugh as Richard seemed to expect him to. 

“And? Any luck?” he asked.

“All I’m getting are stories about soldiers at war, a bunch of books you can buy for your Kindle and not a whole lot else,” Richard said, in discontent.

“Oh,” Paul said, in disappointed disgust at the news. “Perhaps we should ask Olli. He might know something. He usually has a whole dearth of weird information stored in that little head of his.”

“Dearth,” Richard repeated, drolly.

“What?” Paul asked.

“Dearth, Paul. You dared to use the word dearth in my presence,” Richard said. “I heard you quite clearly.”

“Yeah? It’s just a word. Get over it,” Paul said, with a chuckle. “Anyway, enough of the laptop, my love. We have to get a take-away before we even think about visiting Olli. That is, if we even are visiting Olli.” 

He looked to Richard, then, who nodded equably enough.

“Hmm, sure, why not? He might be able to provide some sort of answer,” Richard said, as he began closing down his laptop and setting it aside.

He stretched, arms rising above his head, body stretching languidly. Paul shuddered at the sight of it, remembered again the way that Richard had made love to him earlier that night. Lust poured through his body at the sense memories of Richard's body against his, Richard's groans vibrating in his ears, and the soft slip and slide of Richard’s hands against his skin.

“Not again, Paul,” Richard said, with a laugh.

“Beg your pardon?” Paul asked, as he blinked at Richard in confusion.

“I can smell your lust from here,” Richard said, with a teasing light in his eyes. 

“Fuck, I forgot you could smell that,” Paul admitted, with laugh at his own folly. “You can’t hide much from a vampire, eh?” 

“Nah,” Richard said, as he finally stood. “I think we can do something about your little problem when we come back.” 

“Not so little,” Paul said, as he stared pointedly at his own crotch. “And I’ll hold you to that, just so you know, Richard.” 

“Hold me to what? To your cock or my word?” Richard asked, with a laugh. “Either way, I’m easy.” 

Paul’s only response was to laugh. His laughter died away when he saw the troubled look passing across his lover’s face, there and gone in an instant but there all the same. 

“What is it, darling?” he asked, quietly, seriously. 

“Don’t let me kill anyone tonight, lover,” Richard replied, sadly, unable to quite meet Paul‘s eyes.

“You won’t,” Paul said, just as sadly. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Richard’s only response was to nod, unhappily, and it took him a while to meet Paul‘s gaze again.

****

The trek through Berlin streets was much the same as it ever was; the air had warmed slightly, enough that the seemingly ever present snow had turned to rain, and the flakes that had already landed had begin to turn to icy mush on the ground. Hunting that night was as easy as it ever was and Paul noted the relief in Richard’s eyes, when their victims escaped with little more than weird bruises and a missing ten minutes. He didn’t say anything, merely held his silence and walked with Richard to Olli’s apartment; he didn‘t see the tender look that Richard gave him, too busy with his own thoughts. Olli answered the door at the third attempt, looking sleepy and disheveled despite the fact that it was barely after ten at night.

“Sorry, did we wake you?” Paul asked, brightly, hardly apologetic at all.

“Yeah,” Olli said, with a yawn. “Been a long day. Unlike some people round here, I actually sleep at night.”

He stepped back enough for them to pass, yet neither vampire moved from where they stood in the corridor. Paul and Richard made a move to enter, yet both vampires felt a pressure against their bodies, as though a great and invisible barrier prevented them from entering Olli’s apartment. 

“Fuck,” Paul grumbled. 

“Well?” Olli asked, in surprise, as he stared at the vampires still standing in the corridor.

“We’re vampires, man,” Paul reminded him. “Think about it.”

Olli scrubbed one hand over his face wearily, and it seemed as though his thoughts had yet to catch up with his sleep-fogged body.

“You’ve gotta invite us in,” Richard elaborated, a little impatiently. “We can’t come in, unless you do so.”

Olli laughed at that, before he said - “You mean that shit’s really real?”

“Yeah, really real,” Paul replied but he didn’t feel as amused as Olli apparently was. 

“And what happens if I don’t?’ Olli asked. 

“Then we’re forced to stand out here like a right pair of Dummkopfs,” Paul said, but he still wasn’t smiling. “Invite us in already, Olli. It’s getting boring out here.” 

“Okay, both of you are cordially invited into my humble domicile,” Olli said, grin brightening his still weary face just slightly. 

Some of the pressure that had been battering at the bodies of the vampires disappeared and they entered, with relief.

“What did you want?” he asked, as soon as the door was closed behind them. “And I didn’t mean that to sound so unfriendly, by the way.”

Paul affected a smile for the benefit of the taller man, even as he settled himself comfortably in Olli’s large and overstuffed sofa. He closed his eyes and stretched luxuriously, savouring the soft and fluffy feel of the cushions beneath the contours of his body.

“We should really get ourselves some of these cushions, Reesh,” he said, without opening his eyes as Richard settled just as comfortably beside him. “Nice and squidgy.” 

“You’re like a couple of cats, you two,” Olli observed as he took the armchair kitty-corner from them. “All about pleasure.” 

“Comes with being a vampire, daaaah-ling,” Paul said, in over-exaggerated tones.

“I’m your only darling, you little fuck-head,” Richard suddenly grunted, irritably.

“Oh, affectionate as well as pleasure-seeking,” Olli said, with a sudden laugh that was bigger than his swiftly raised hand. 

Paul was laughing too much to reply to Olli’s statement, immediately; instead, he petted Richard's head, until he was able to speak again.

“Seems like our pretty-boy’s jealous,” he soothed, before he pressed a kiss against Richard's cheek. “Of nothing as well.”

“I’m not nothing, Paul,” Olli said, mildly. 

“No, but you’re not his partner,” Richard pointed out, proudly. “I am.”

“Don't we know it,” Olli said, with a long-suffering roll of his eyes. “Anyway, I asked you once, already and so I'll ask you again. What is it that you two fang-faces wanted?” 

“D’you know anything about shared nightmares?” Paul asked, getting straight to the point. 

“No, should I?” Olli asked, in sudden interest. 

“We’re having ‘em,” Paul said, as he gestured to Richard and back to himself. 

“Well, I don’t know about shared nightmares,” Olli said, slowly. “It’s not something that’s well documented, though it’s not unheard of. Probably most common in married couples, or those who are incredibly close. Both of which could apply to you two. You’re practically married, anyway.”

Neither vampire took any notice of Olli’s words, which made the bassist laugh a little. 

“I think he might have a point,” Paul said to Richard. “I mean, think about it. We shared blood. It makes sense that we would share other things, like dreams.” 

“Hmm, maybe,” Richard agreed, slowly. “But it still doesn’t explain what it was all about.”

“What was it all about, anyway?” Olli asked, with interest.

Paul and Richard told him as much as they could remember, which proved to not be that much, after all. Olli merely shrugged, once the tale was over. 

“I have no idea,” he said. “You haven’t done anything that you feel guilty about, have you? You might be fearful of reprisal, or attack. It could be manifesting in the guise of monsters.” 

Paul suddenly felt a thrill of fear sluicing coldly through his veins at that; once again, his mind flew back to the night that they’d killed a human apiece, and the fear and recriminations that had occurred afterwards. Richard’s hand suddenly snaked out to pinch at Paul’s knee harshly; Paul didn’t have to look at Richard to know that the other vampire was warning him to keep his mouth shut. 

“No,” Richard said, before Paul could. “We've got nothing to be worried or guilty about.” 

Paul shook his head in silent corroboration, and he was glad for the fact that Olli seemed to believe them. 

“Okay, so its not that then. Perhaps it might have something to do with adapting poorly to your change. I mean, becoming a vampire must be a lot to take in, isn’t it?” Olli asked, as he stared curiously at first Richard and then Paul. 

“You‘re right; it is,” Richard said, gloomily. 

There was an uncomfortable silence then; Richard seemed determined to stare gloomily at nothing, eyes locked in a thousand mile stare at the table. Olli continued sitting there peaceably, feet wiggling on occasion with the tempo of his thoughts. Only Paul remained restless, shifting against his seat, gaze flickering from one to the other in the room. 

“Did you hear about Till’s party next week?” Paul asked Olli, more for something to say than for the fact that he thought Olli wouldn’t know about it.

“Of course,” Olli said, with a laugh as, beside Paul, Richard finally stirred into something resembling life. “I’ve been invited, haven’t I?”

“Ah, of course,” Paul said, gloomily. 

“Are you able to come?” Olli asked the pair of vampires carefully.

“Yeah, we’re coming at about half nine or so,” Richard supplied before Paul could. “We’re up after eight these days.”

“Hmmm,” Olli said, with a smile. “Must be weird getting up when everyone else is going to bed pretty much.” 

“Takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s not as bad as all that,” Richard said, with a shrug. “I’m never been one to be bothered overly much with people, you know that.”

“Yeah,” Olli said, with a nod. “People can get a bit much at times. People suck.”

“No, vampires suck, people are sucked,” Paul said, with a sudden bright grin.

“You got me there,” Olli said, and he laughed. “What’s it like, anyway? Being a vampire?” 

“Like Richard said, it takes some getting used to,” Paul said, with a smile. “But not too bad, I suppose, when you do eventually get used to it. Can’t complain.”

“And by that, he means he really can’t complain. He had no choice in the matter,” Richard pointed out, gloomily.

“Hush thy mouth, Richard,” Paul said, immediately. “Better than being dead entirely. I could have been.”

Richard merely hummed out his agreement, but didn’t push the matter further.

****

The walk from Olli’s apartment back to their own was quiet and companionable; Richard’s arm was looped comfortably around Paul’s waist. Paul snuggled contentedly into Richard's side, with a long, drawn-out sigh. He stopped Richard by the side of the road, beneath the shade of a tree. Richard looked askance down at him, as Paul lifted his head.

“Kiss?” Paul asked, hopefully.

Richard grinned and leant in eagerly, hands clamping immediately against Paul’s butt as he closed his mouth over Paul’s own. Paul smiled into the kiss, lips working hungrily at lips, small noises of enjoyment passing from between them. His hand rested against the back of Richard's neck, fingers stroking through the fine strands of hair at Richard's nape, which produced little shivers in the other vampire’s body. They eased away, and shared a smile before they resumed their walk back to their apartment. They’d almost reached it when the incident happened. 

Paul had the sudden sense of extreme cold passing him, and he turned, aware of sudden staring eyes regarding him as a hooded figure shuffled past. The person’s face was thrown into darkness by the lack of light in that part of the street, and by the shadows thrown naturally by the confining hood. Yet still, he had the sense that the person’s face was strange, somehow, darker and longer than it should have been, and the eyes seemed to catch and glow an odd and unsettling shade of red. 

“Reesh?” Paul asked, as he grabbed at his partner’s hand, in an attempt to gain Richard's attention. 

Richard had barely turned when the person came back; Richard glimpsed glittering eyes and something equally as shiny raised high in the air, before a knife was plunged into Paul’s body.

****


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with the next chapter. I had to adjust the ending of the last one slightly, to make the knifing scene a little less ambiguous.

Richard couldn’t react at first, body seeming to have frozen against its will beneath the weight of the shock that poured through him; everything seemed to come in flashes and incoherent spurts. Paul was at his feet, hand pressed to his chest whilst blood puddled out and stained the slushy snow upon the pavement. Paul was coughing, bloody hand now extended pleadingly up to Richard. Whoever it had been that had knifed Paul had long since disappeared, black cloaked body whipping off swiftly into the shadowed night.

“Reesh,” Paul coughed out. “Please.” 

Paul’s voice alone, weak though it was, spurred Richard into action and he knelt by his lover’s body, hands immediately pressed against the still bleeding wound in Paul’s shoulder. Already, though the flow was slowing, and it looked almost as though the wound, visible between the rents on Paul’s coat and shirt, was stitching itself back together again. 

“Please,” Paul said again and there was real fear in the other man’s eyes, as though he expected to die a second time, never to return.

“I’m taking you to the hospital,” Richard decided, fear making his voice high and unrecognizable. 

“No,” Paul shouted, hand reaching and grabbing blindly for Richard's shirt.

His fingers snarled in Richard's coat collar instead, surprisingly strong for someone who’d been so recently wounded; Richard stopped and turned his gaze back to Paul’s again.

“No hospital,” Paul grated out. “Not safe, stupid.” 

“Fuck,” Richard said, realizing that a hospital was the not the best place for a vampire to be taken.

Too much blood and injury and death and curiosity awaited them there; he knew that he couldn't trust himself around it all and not go into a blood crazed spree, either induced by the smell of blood or by anger through the nurses’ innate curiosity. They would know that something was not right with Paul, that he was different; he would be kept in for tests, or questioning, examinations prising his body apart until there was nothing recognisable left of the man he loved.

“No hospital,” Richard agreed, and Paul nodded agreeably. “Olli?”

“No,” Paul said, firmly. “Don't get anyone else involved. Don’t want them. Want you.”

“How?” Richard asked, helplessly, uncertain as to how he could be of any help at all.

“Did it before, dummy,” Paul said, as his head lolled scarily in Richard's lap. “Blood. Need blood.” 

Richard sighed; blood was what he understood now. He nodded and offered his wrist willingly to Paul, eyes closing as he felt the first tearing of Paul’s fangs at his flesh. The pain was absolute, followed by a rush of pleasure-tinged lust, as Paul sucked hungrily at Richard’s wrist, aroused growls working from around Richard's torn flesh. Richard almost didn’t tell Paul to stop, too caught up in the moment, too distracted by the press of his own sudden erection against the front of his trousers to even tell Paul that he’d taken enough, that Richard himself was weakening. Eventually, he pressed one hand against Paul’s forehead, pushed him, until Paul eased away, fangs tearing free of his flesh with an note of complaint and loss. 

“Enough,” Richard said, but he wasn’t angry. 

Instead he continued cradling Paul in his arms, until the vampire moved, and sat up of his own accord, to probe at the still knitting flesh in his shoulder. 

“Jesus,” Paul said. “I think if I’d been human, I would have been dead. I think that bastard nicked a lung.” 

“Lucky you don’t breathe, then,” Richard said, but his voice sounded strained and odd even to his own ears.

“Reesh?” Paul asked, and his gaze was penetrative and worried. “What's wrong?”

“Too much gone,” Richard said, as he lifted his now mostly healed wrist. “Feel funny.” 

“Oh, fuck,” Paul said, and it was his turn to cradle Richard against his body.

He pulled the other vampire closer still, and angled his lover’s head to his throat; Richard's instincts took over and Paul felt the first press of fangs tearing hungrily at him. Paul shuddered against him, a pleasured sigh escaping his lips as Richard fed. Richard eased away before he’d finished, looking a little better.

“Need more,” he said. “Can’t take any more from you. You need it.” 

Paul nodded and climbed unsteadily to his feet, dizzied a little by the sensation of Richard feeding from him. They continued to lean against one another as they walked, until they found likely victims, hidden behind a building, too busy kissing in the shadows of an alleyway to notice the vampires lurking nearby, watching them. Richard and Paul surged forward once they were certain the lovers were sufficiently distracted and fed, blood rushing through their veins until they’d replaced almost all that they’d lost and shared between them; once they’d finished, they left the couple slumped and barely alive in the shadows of an otherwise deserted alleyway.

****

Their love-making that night was rough, and eager, fuelled by blood-lust and shared blood-taking, hands gripping and grasping whilst hips met and parted, great cries ripping the air asunder as they gave themselves entirely to one another. When they came it was with loud inhuman screams, pleasure turning their cries of release hoarse and husky in the dark watches of the night.

****

“D’you think we should call the police, after all?” Paul asked, as the morning inched closer towards them.

He was laying beside Richard, hand curled comfortably against his abdomen; both vampires were naked, and sated after another round of love-making. Paul had made a half-joking comment earlier in the night about sharing blood more often if it meant that their sex-life improved by a great deal; Richard had laughed and objected that they didn’t need much help in that area. Paul had laughed himself and agreed. 

“Why?” Richard asked, mind still hazy with sex. 

“That nutter who knifed me,” Paul said, quietly. “We should report it, shouldn’t we?”

“We should, but we won’t,” Richard said, as he shifted onto his side to stare at Paul at close range. “Don’t you think they're gonna wonder why you’re walking about like nothing happened, considering you’ve got a punctured lung, suffered massive blood loss, and you’ve just had a bloody big knife in the chest. They’re gonna think it a little strange.”

Paul laughed at that, before he nodded.

“Okay, bad idea,” he said, quietly. “Police are out, the same way as hospitals are.”

“Exactly,” Richard said, as he leant in to press heated kisses against Paul’s mouth. “We’ll deal with it ourselves, Paulchen. We’ll get the bastard who did this to you.” 

“Fighting talk,” Paul said, with a laugh, even as Richard eased him onto his back again, with a leer.

****

The following night, Richard felt on edge, as he made his way across Alexanderplatz, Paul by his side as usual. The air was frigid and cold, yet snowfall was not on the agenda for the evening. Richard didn’t care about weather reports, however; instead, his attentions wandered, gaze moving restlessly about their surroundings whilst Paul chattered ceaselessly beside him.

“Are you even listening to me, Reesh?” Paul laughed, as he dug one sharp elbow into Richard’s ribs.

“Um, some of the time, I guess, y’know,” Richard said, vaguely as he cast an uneasy glance behind them. “Can you not feel that? Like someone’s watching us?” 

“Yeah,” Paul said, slowly, bright grin fading from his face as he, too, cast a glance behind them. “I’m sure it’s nothing.” 

Richard grunted but didn’t say anything; his mind had flittered back to Paul’s attack. He shuddered despite himself, unwilling to remember Paul at his feet, covered in blood, with a knife wound in his shoulder. 

“Hey, I didn’t die, darling,” Paul reminded him. “It’s gonna take more than a damn knife to do that.”

Richard threw a surprised glance at his lover; he hadn’t thought that his own ruminations were that transparent. Paul’s smile told him that the other vampire's comments had been made via a lucky guess, and not through any sudden demonstrations of mind-reading. 

“I know,” Richard told him, and fell silent again.

They continued on in silence, and still didn’t speak until they’d located a couple of drunken victims down a side alley. From there, they performed a quick and effortless chase, which ended in twin spurts of blood in the night that sated both vampires. Richard finished his meal first and stood back, watching as Paul fed from the human he’d chosen; his lover’s eyes were closed, groans of pleasure leaking past Paul's lips as he suckled and lapped at the human’s throat. Richard watched in fascination, thinking as he did so that Paul looked truly beautiful in that moment, and utterly, damningly powerful. 

A sudden noise at the alleyway’s entrance ripped Richard’s attentions away from his lover and he glanced at the mouth of the alley reluctantly; he startled at the sight of a cowled figure standing in a pool of light thrown down by a street-lamp. The figure’s face was cast in darkness, yet still, Richard was aware of a pair of glowing red eyes in the darkened face, staring at him. Paul made a sudden sound of sated satisfaction behind him; Richard looked over his shoulder at his lover, who had drawn away from his victim, hand wiping lazily against blood-soaked lips. By the time that Richard turned back to the mouth of the alley, the figure had gone. 

“Did you see that?” Richard asked, even as he started to steal forward on predator’s feet.

“See what? I was eating,” Paul replied, as he followed swiftly in Richard's footsteps.

“Someone in robes watching us,” Richard said. 

“Robes? No, I saw nothing,” Paul replied, his voice spiking in his sudden alarm.

Richard shushed him as they reached the road, hand raised to invoke caution; they edged out onto the pavement slowly, yet the road on either side of the alleyway was empty. 

“Where the hell did they go?” Richard asked, in alarm. 

“They probably just ducked into another alleyway or something,” Paul said. “A drunkard or someone. They’ll probably have forgotten all about us in the morning if they ever saw anything, that is.” 

“Let’s just hope so,” Richard said, darkly.

“Yeah,” Paul said, defiantly. “Let’s go home.”

“Hmm,” Richard grunted, but offered no real objection to Paul’s suggestion.

Despite this, he kept an eye out for potential stalkers, yet he saw nothing else the entire way home.

****


	8. Chapter 8

Two nights later, the phone rang whilst Paul was in the shower; Richard picked up the receiver, hand scrubbing wearily at his eyes. Despite sleeping all day, he still felt weary, and worn-down to the point of almost exhaustion; both vampires had been plagued with nightmares again, half-remembered images of twin cowled figures figuring large in nightmarish landscapes. 

“Oh hey Schneider,” Richard said, as soon as he recognised the voice on the other end. “How’s it going?”

“Pretty good. You?” Schneider asked, cheerfully. 

“Not bad, considering,” Richard replied, with a shrug.

“Considering what? What’s happened? You haven’t fought with Paul, have you?” Schneider asked, and sudden worry overrode the cheerfulness of before. 

“No, no, nothing like that, thank fuck; someone knifed Paulchen the other night,” Richard said, with a sigh, before he told the drummer the tale of all that had happened.

“Jesus, some nut-case actually knifed Paul?” Schneider asked, in horror. “Why?”

“Fuck knows. Paul reckoned it was a random attack,” Richard said, with a shrug. 

“Well, maybe you should just call the police and let them look into it,” Schneider suggested.

“Yeah, maybe,” Richard replied, but he didn‘t feel very enthused with the idea.

“I‘m serious, Reesh,” Schneider said, and his tone had taken a sharp and angry edge. 

“And I said that I’d think about it,” Richard said, a little gruffly. “I’ll see what Paul says, perhaps. I doubt we actually will do anything, though. Neither of us want the cops involved; too many awkward questions will be asked. We'll deal with it. Anyway, what was it you wanted?”

“Fine. I wanted to whether either of you have seen Olli at all, lately?” Schneider asked, without missing a beat.

“Yeah, me and Paul saw him on Friday night. Why?” Richard asked, in surprise.

“It’s probably nothing, but Flake and I have been trying to ring him all day yesterday, and he’s not picking up. Till hasn’t heard much from him at all, since we left Austria, except to ask him to the party, and to arrange the music, which yeah, I know, isn‘t an unusual thing,” Schneider explained. “We decided to ask you and Paul if you’d heard anything. If you hadn’t, then we were planning on going round his place, to check up on him.” 

“Like I said - we saw him Friday night,” Richard repeated. “He was fine.” 

“Well, I’ve got the sneaking feeling that he perhaps isn’t now,” Schneider said, worriedly. 

“No? Why?” Richard asked. “He’s probably gone somewhere with a girlfriend or something. Why did you want to talk to him, anyway? Maybe I could help.” 

“Maybe, but I doubt it. Like I said, Olli’s supposed to be arranging the music,” Schneider said. “Which is why Flake was ringing him in the first place; he wanted to know whether he’d sorted it out yet, or needed help, or anything.”

“If you like, Paul and I can swing by his place and see whether he’s in or not. We’re passing that way tonight,” Richard offered, slowly. 

“Oh, okay; thanks, Reesh. That’d be good if you did. You going anywhere special?” Schneider asked.

“Oh, just out. Vampire business, y’know,” Richard reminded him quietly. 

“Oh,” Schneider said, darkly. “Yeah. Of course. Vampire business. Well. Have fun?” 

“Yeah,” Richard said. “Thanks. We probably will.”

There was an uncomfortable silence, then, which was broken, finally by Schneider. 

“What time d’you think you’ll be round at Olli’s, anyway?” he asked. 

“I dunno,” Richard replied, with a shrug that Schneider was destined never to see. “Depends how long it takes us to find a suitable meal.” 

“You make it sound like a choice between going to Princess Cheesecake or Schnitzelei, and I realize how mismatched that comparison actually is, before you say anything, thank you, Richard,” Schneider said, but at least his voice sounded warm with his amusement, and not anger.

Richard couldn’t help but return the laugh, as Paul wandered out of the bathroom, hair still dark and damp from where he’d washed it. He wandered over and planted a kiss upon Richard's mouth, which made Richard huff out a quick and amused laugh.

“Ugh, did Paul just kiss you while you’re still on the phone to me?” Schneider asked, in mock disgust.

“I heard that,” Paul yelled loud enough for Schneider to hear on the other end. 

“Jesus,” Schneider said, with a laugh. “You can’t hide anything around you two, honestly.”

“Not really,” Richard said, with a grin. “I thought you knew this. Anyway, why were you asking? About when we’d be at Olli‘s?”

“I thought I’d meet you round there,” Schneider replied.

“Well, we’ll try to hurry and we’ll probably be there at about eleven-ish? That alright?” Richard asked. “Ulrike won’t mind, will she?” 

“Ulli’ll be fine, I’m sure. I think my wife’s used to my weird hours by now,” Schneider said, with a dry snort. 

“Welcome to the vampire club,” Paul yelled. 

“Is that Paul chiming in again?” Schneider asked.

“Yup,” Richard said, with a laugh. “Don’t worry. He’ll quieten down again in a minute.”

“I will, will I?” Paul asked, as he laughingly jostled up against Richard, chest butting up against the other vampire‘s. “Gonna make me?” 

Richard laughed despite himself; he was forced back a step or two by Paul's playful shoving. 

“I’m gonna have to go, Chris; sorry. I think Paul wants to wrestle me or something,” Richard said.

“Is that what you’re calling it these days? Wrestling?” Schneider asked, amused. “Not what I call it in my household.” 

“I don’t wanna know what you get up to with Ulli, Chris,” Richard said, in distaste. “Leave that between you and your wife. Anyway, Paul and I will see you at Olli’s later on, yes?”

“Ja,” Schneider said. “Bis bald.” 

“Bis bald,” Richard said, before Schneider put down the phone.

“What's this about wrestling? I don’t wanna wrestle,” Paul said, as soon as the receiver was back in its cradle. “You’ll win.” 

“I know I will,” Richard said, with a wicked grin at Paul. “But no, you’re safe from wrestling for tonight. Maybe another night.” 

“Hmm,” Paul replied, but he didn’t look happy with the prospect.

Richard guessed that Paul was still worried about losing.

“Anyway, we’d best go or we'll be late meeting Schneider at Olli’s,” Richard said.

“Olli’s? Why?” Paul asked. “What happened while I was in the shower?”

Richard explained the situation as he was taking his coat from the hook in the hall; Paul was alarmed as he shrugged on his own coat and followed Richard from the apartment.

****


	9. Chapter 9

Schneider was already standing outside Olli’s apartment by the time that Richard and Paul made their way down the corridor towards him. Whilst it had long since stopped snowing, another fall appeared imminent; fat and heavy clouds blocked out the moon and the stars, and the wind was biting cold, giving even the vampires a rosy sheen to their cheeks, aided by the blood that they’d drunk earlier. 

“He’s not answering,” Schneider said, as soon as they’d greeted one another.

He gestured towards Olli’s front door, with one thumb jutting over his shoulder. 

“I’ve tried his home phone, his mobile phone, even knocking, would you believe,” he continued, with a sigh, as though the very act of knocking was a step too far in the wrong direction.

“The very shame of it,” Paul said, with a grin, as he, too, rapped his knuckles against the wooden barrier.

Schneider pointedly ignored him, and waited, but Olli still did not answer. Even Paul and Richard with their enhanced hearing could hear no movement from inside, and they would have heard the bassist moving no matter where he was in his apartment. 

“Now what?” Schneider asked, even as Paul sank to his knees in front of the lock. “What are you doing now, Paulchen?” 

“You’ll see,” Paul said, as he pulled a thin piece of metal from his pocket and inserted it into the lock.

He wiggled it about carefully, and seemed almost to be counting, lips moving soundlessly as he did so; eventually he gave a satisfied sound and pushed on the door. The wooden barrier swung open easily, and Schneider frowned and shook his head at the laughing Paul.

“I’m not even gonna ask you why or how you knew how to do that,” the drummer said, as he walked into the apartment. 

“Ach, old skill,” Paul replied, with a shrug. “Acquired through many a day of misspent youth; never have gotten out of the habit of carrying a few tools somewhere about my person. Still comes in handy, yes?”

“Yeah, but don’t let it go to your head, lover,” Richard warned, as he shot Paul a wicked grin on his way past. 

Paul gave him the middle finger which made Richard's grin turn into a laugh. That laugh soon disappeared, however, when they were inside the apartment, senses assailed by the scent of rotting flesh. 

“Jesus, what the hell is that? Did something die in here?” Schneider choked, as he crammed one fist against his mouth and nostrils to block out the scent.

“Fuck. Olli!” Paul yelled, as he slammed open every door that he could find, to no avail. “Olli, are you here? Are you alright? Please don’t be dead.” 

“What the hell’s going on?” Olli asked, as he suddenly appeared in the doorway to the apartment. “How did you even get in here, more to the point?” 

Paul had been making so much noise with his apartment-wide charges, that he’d covered up the sounds of the bassist’s approach. 

“Paul picked your lock,” Schneider immediately said, as he pointed accusingly in Paul’s direction. 

“But why, though?” Olli asked, in surprise.

“Where the hell have you been?” Richard asked. “Chris said that he and Flake have been trying to phone you all day yesterday.” 

“I’ve been here,” Olli insisted. “I haven’t heard the phone once. And now you’ve broken in, you bastards.”

“The lock’s not actually broken, you know, Olli. It’s picked,” Paul pointed out. “You can lock it again. With your key. Like usual.” 

“Smart-arse,” Olli said, unamused. “Anyway, what did you want me for? Anything in particular?” 

“Yeah, we were wondering what was happening about the music at the party?” Schneider asked, and he looked embarrassed, as though he suddenly realised that the question was not important enough to actually warrant picking someone‘s lock. 

“Don’t worry; it’s sorted. Don’t make such a fuss. I’ve loaded my mp3 player with all kinds of music,” Olli replied, in the tone of voice that indicated that he thought it hadn’t been terribly important either. 

“Well, as long as you haven’t got anything too cheesy, I suppose that’s alright then,” Paul said, and he shot Schneider an unimpressed glance. 

There was an awkward silence, then, which Richard decided to break.

“I suppose we’d best be going then,” he said, as he gestured towards Schneider and Paul. “Paul and I have to get home and I’m sure Ulrike wants you back, Chris.”

“Yeah, I said I wouldn’t be gone too long. The little kiddie, you know,” Schneider said, with an embarrassed shrug

Olli remained silent, and watched when the two vampires and human trooped out of the apartment.

****

“D’you think Olli was lying?” Richard asked, musingly, as he made his way back through the streets with Paul by his side.

Schneider had long since left them, turning his steps away from the vampires and back to his wife and child.

“Lying? About what, Reesh?” Paul asked, in sudden surprise. “About the music? I’m sure he can’t have really picked out anything too cheesy.”

“Don’t be dense, Paul,” Richard said, sharply. “About where he’s been, I meant. I can’t believe that he’s been totally unaware that his phone’s been ringing off the hook; he must have been out or something and didn‘t want to admit to it.” 

“Well, have you thought that perhaps he just didn’t want to bloody answer?” Paul replied, just as sharply. “Perhaps he’s been with a girlfriend and didn’t want to be disturbed. Do you want to be disturbed when you’re fucking me?” 

“Paul,” Richard objected, but Paul's words evoked a laugh all the same.

Paul laughed himself, earlier tight anger disappearing from his face with the happy sound. 

“Well? It’s true, isn’t it?” he asked, with an expansive shrug.

“Yeah,” Richard replied, reluctantly. “I still can’t shake off the feeling that something was off with him, though. I mean, what the hell was that smell in his apartment for a start? Olli seemed not to even notice.” 

“Perhaps a rat died in the walls or something and he can‘t get it out. Perhaps he got used to it,” Paul said, with a shrug.

“Unlikely, but plausible, barely, I suppose,” Richard conceded. “He didn’t seem to want to meet our eyes, either. Did you notice? That’s not like Olli, either. I know he’s shy, but not that shy.”

“We’d just broken into his apartment, like common criminals; I picked his damned lock,” Paul pointed out. “He was probably a little bit pissed off. Wouldn't you be, if some bugger picked the lock to our place?” 

“I suppose,” Richard conceded. “You have the answers to everything, don’t you?”

“I try,” Paul said, with a smug grin. “But you have to admit that there is some logical explanation for all of this. It doesn’t necessarily have to mean a thing.” 

“I suppose,” Richard repeated, and he knew that Paul had a point. 

Paul merely nodded, but didn’t remark further; instead, he continued walking beside Richard, hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his coat, whilst from above, the snow started to fall once more.

****


	10. Chapter 10

The night of the party dawned, and Paul was awakened by the feel of Richard’s mouth on his cock, and the slow stroking of the other vampire’s lips and tongue against his length. Paul groaned, lust roaring through his body and his hand rose to snarl through Richard’s hair. Richard's head bobbed faster between Paul’s legs, excited moans falling thickly muffled around Paul’s cock, vibrating against him and Paul came with a shout, spilling out into Richard's mouth. 

He was still reeling from his orgasm when Richard maneuvered him into a better position, legs drawn up, so that Richard could prepare him, slick fingers dancing and dipping against Paul’s lax and willing body. In time, Richard settled atop him, sinking in with a groan, before he began thrusting into Paul hard and fast, hands gripping tightly at Paul’s hips. Their gazes were locked, and Paul saw every trace of lust and pleasure that raced across his lover’s face, and the tightening of his jaw mere seconds before he climaxed. Richard eased away, to lay beside Paul, one hand resting possessively against Paul’s sticky abdomen. Paul was the first to move, to draw Richard into the bathroom and on into the shower cubicle.

They washed and dressed in silence, comfortable in each other’s presence to merely exchange smiles and the odd caress every now and again, mingled with kisses and cuddles as they passed each other. Once they were ready, they left their apartment to find someone to eat apiece, before they made their way to Till's apartment and the promised party. Olli, surprisingly, had yet to turn up, despite frequent and increasingly irritated attempted phone calls from Till and from Flake. 

Despite the debacle with Olli, the party otherwise started off well enough, with Richard and Paul glad to be re-joining their band-mates after not seeing them all together in one place for a couple of months; whilst Flake and Till seemed still to be a little dismissive of them, Schneider was a little more friendly and welcoming. Presents were exchanged before sudden laughter erupted from all parties, regarding ugly sweaters and disgustingly coloured socks revealed within the confines of vari-coloured crinkling wrapping paper. Olli finally arrived, amidst a flurry of angry comments, but despite his vague apologies, he deigned to explain quite where he’d been; he even seemed more quiet and reserved than usual, relief evident in his expression and the set of his body when attention finally shifted away from him and onto the food that Till had supplied. 

Richard and Paul stood around awkwardly by the window, chatting quietly whilst the others picked and fussed over a huge table filled to almost overflowing with every conceivable cake, pastry, pie and savoury item imaginable. Champagne, wine and beer was on standby, as was coffee and tea. Unsurprisingly, the alcohol was the first to be consumed, with Till and Flake imbibing more than the rest of them combined.

“Don’t you think Olli’s acting a bit strangely again, tonight?” Richard asked quietly, as he glanced towards the bassist. 

“A little,” Paul said, as he, in turn, began to watch Olli. “He’s been quieter than usual, for a start.”

“And the rest,” Richard snorted. “He keeps giving the both of us filthy looks and have you noticed that he seems to keep fiddling with something in his pocket?” 

“Well, I just thought he was adjusting himself,” Paul said, with the straightest face he could muster. 

Richard pulled a disgusted face, but was distracted from speaking further by Flake weaving his way drunkenly over to them, champagne glass held unsteadily in one hand.

“Are you two not drinking, even?” Flake asked.

“We don’t drink, Flake,” Paul reminded him, with a surprised laugh.

“Since when?” Flake asked, as he squinted uncertainly at the smaller man, as though he thought that perhaps Paul was lying.

“Since a couple of months ago,” Paul said. “We kind of had to give up, don’t you remember?”

“Oh. You don’t drink alcohol? Coffee, then. Have a coffee,” Flake slurred. “You’ve gotta have something. It’s a party, damn you both.” 

“We don’t drink coffee either,” Paul said, and he was starting to frown a little now. “We’re vampires, Flake, remember? We can’t eat or drink like humans, anymore. We vomit it all up, again. Blood‘s the only thing we can keep down.” 

“That is so gross,” Flake said, with a grimace. 

Paul huffed out a sudden laugh, even as Richard stiffened beside him, a note of warning attracting the smaller vampire’s attentions back to the room at large again. He heard the sound of scurrying footsteps shifting nearby, mere seconds before Olli surged towards Richard; the bassist held a knife high in one hand. The table he passed was tipped towards the floor; it spilled its entire contents over the carpet as Olli continued on his way, eyes blank and staring, knife blade flashing in the light. It seemed to Richard as though it happened in slow motion, yet in reality, Olli’s flight across the room took merely a few seconds; every movement that the bassist made was faster than usual, almost supernaturally fast. Richard felt the blade slam home into his chest, followed by Paul’s anguished howl beside him. Richard couldn’t do much beyond slump to the floor in shock, gaze locked accusingly upon Olli‘s blankly triumphant face.

****

Paul felt a rage like he’d never known before race through his body when he saw his lover slump to the ground with Olli’s blade in his chest. He flew towards Olli, hands outstretched and clamping around the taller man’s throat, cutting off Olli’s air supply. He felt hands from some of the others gouging at him, and Olli both, trying to separate them.

“I know what you did! I know what you did,” Olli was shouting amidst the mayhem, before Till managed to silence him with a well-timed punch to the face. 

Olli fell to the ground, unconscious, as Schneider coaxed the still angry Paul from Olli‘s prone body. Flake stayed crouching beside the bassist, even as Paul returned to Richard’s side, chest heaving with his anger; he knelt and cradled Richard’s head in his lap, as he stared down into his lover’s face. Richard tried to smile, hand arcing up to rest against Paul’s cheek.

“Know what to do, Paulchen,” he said, weakly. “Remember what I did for you.”

Paul nodded wordlessly and stared up into the worried faces around him, of Till, of Schneider, and further away, of Flake. 

“I hope you don’t hate us for what we’re about to do, but I’ve gotta do it, for my partner’s sake,” Paul said, helplessly. “I have to do it, to save him.”

“What are you even talking about? We don’t hate you,” Schneider said, in surprise.

“Hold that thought,” Paul said, sadly." Whatever you see next.”

He dipped his head, squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his wrist savagely against Richard's mouth. He sighed in satisfaction when he felt Richard’s fangs slice into his flesh, Richard’s hands arcing up to his arm and hand, to anchor him there whilst the other vampire fed greedily. Paul turned his face to the ceiling, smiling slightly as the familiar lust raced through his body, before he pushed Richard away when he sensed that his lover had taken enough. Paul dipped his head and bit at Richard’s throat and fed from him, tongue lapping eagerly at the blood that welled there. He was aware of the others watching, but he didn’t sense disgust, merely fascination and a kind of amused horror, emanating from all of them

“So, that’s a vampire then,” Flake said, with a brief smile, once Paul had finally drawn away from Richard.

Flake’s voice, and demeanour, were more sober than they had been before; the effects of the drink must have worn off in the wake of the attack and the subsequent blood-letting. Paul merely nodded at him, uncertain as to what to say; anything that came to mind seemed trite to him, even oddly childish. It seemed prudent to perhaps retain his silence for now. Richard was still cradled in Paul’s arms, yet when Paul looked down into his lover’s face again, the other vampire looked comfortable and relaxed as he nestled a little closer to Paul’s body, cheek nestling against Paul‘s abdomen.

“What happens now?” Schneider asked, awkwardly, as he stared down at the two resting vampires.

“We need to find someone else to feed from, to replenish the blood that we took from each other. I‘d rather not break our promise to you and have to feed here,” Paul explained. “But then, we really need to go somewhere private. This sort of thing usually leaves us a bit - “

He broke off, and coughed slightly in embarrassment, before he looked to Till for help.

“I think what he’s trying to say is that they need to get themselves a room,” Till said, with a sudden laugh, when no one else moved or spoke.

Paul grinned at that, glad for the fact that Till was laughing and not shouting. He couldn't help but wonder if it was the alcohol that Till had consumed throughout the evening that had mellowed him a little; he only hoped that the laughter held, and the shouting wasn't soon to follow..

“Oh God,” Flake said, in disgust.

“Do you absolutely really need to go? We’ve got kind of an emergency on our hands here,” Schneider said, as he gestured towards the still unconscious Olli.

“Yeah,” Richard said, quietly, from the vicinity of Paul’s lap. “One could say it was a matter of life and death for us.”

“One could, could one?” Schneider asked, with an unamused snort.

“Schneider, that’s enough. You guys go, then and find yourself someone else to snack on; I’ve got a spare room for you to use when you get back, if you need it,” Till offered.

“Really? You’re sure you don’t mind?” Paul asked, in sudden surprise.

“Having you two fucking in my spare room is a far better prospect than having you feeding from any of us,” Till said, with a sudden look of disgust, as he gestured sharply around at the others. “Fucking I can handle. feeding I can’t.”

“That’s understandable, I suppose,, and thanks, Till,” Paul said, with a grateful nod towards the vocalist. “We’ll be back as soon as we can. See what you can find out from Olli, in our absence.”

“Will do,” Schneider said, grimly. “I think he’s got a lot to answer for, to be honest.”

“Hmm,” Paul agreed, even as he helped Richard to his feet, and to support him whilst he walked from the room, leaving the shattered remains of a party behind.

****


	11. Chapter 11

The hunt was swift and bloody, both vampires soon sated and contented; their bodies were warm from recent blood-letting, and their veins sang with the need to burn away some of the lust they felt. Richard followed Paul back into Till's apartment once they’d reached it, turning left instead of right to head for the spare room; they tried to keep their feet silent, yet still managed to run into Flake coming out of the bathroom.

“Oh, you’re back,” the keyboardist said, as he gave them a typical look of grim and frowning disapproval. 

“Yeah, tell the others we’ll be with them again, soon,” Richard said, as he smiled over Paul’s shoulder, lips and fangs and tongue soon returning to his lover’s throat as he nuzzled Paul from behind. 

“Oh God,” Flake said, as he turned his face away from the very obviously aroused vampires.

He made haste to get away from them, and they disappeared into the spare bedroom, with the lube and condoms they’d bought at a late-night garage. Whilst it seemed strange for them to get undressed in unfamiliar surroundings, they soon forgot about the discomfort once they laid upon the bed and Richard started to prepare Paul, hands dipping and sliding over Paul’s body. He could still feel Paul's blood in his veins, underlying that of the last victim he’d taken; sharing blood with his partner always felt far more intimate than taking blood from a human. Paul was a shaking mass of moans by the time that Richard pulled away, and laid atop him, hips aligning with hips, chest pressed firmly against the curve of Paul's back.

Richard eased his hand between them and guided himself inside his lover with a loud and satisfied groan of relief, before he started rocking eagerly into him, hips thrusting hard and fast against Paul’s. His eyes closed and he lost himself to the feel of Paul beneath him, to how responsive he was, to the sounds that fell from his lover's mouth. And when he came, it was with a loud cry of Paul’s name, body shaking as he laid himself bare for Paul, vulnerable, damned, and loved. He drew away once he was finished, and laid beside Paul, smiling in sated satisfaction as the other vampire nestled into him comfortably. Neither of them spoke; instead, they were content to lay in each other’s arms for a while, silently exchanging little kisses and nuzzles into the otherwise silent bedroom. 

“I wonder what happened with Olli?” Paul asked, some time later.

“Hmm,” Richard said, as he continued peppering kisses against Paul's forehead and cheeks. “We should go and check, I suppose.”

“I suppose,” Paul agreed, with a nod, despite the fact that he felt too comfortable in Richard’s arms to move. 

Paul watched as Richard slithered out of the bed and left the room, returning with a wet flannel to wipe themselves down. After they were both reasonably clean, they dressed and went sheepishly into the living room, to find that Olli was awake and sitting on the couch, with an embarrassed expression upon his face

*****

“I don’t know what happened,” Olli said, obviously not for the first time, judging by the strained look upon his face and the stiff postures of those around him. “It almost was like I was not in control of my own body, like something or someone else was controlling me. I could see what was happening, feel it, but I couldn't stop it. I knifed you, Richard.”

Olli turned horrified eyes up to Richard, as though he thought that the vampire still could die in front of him.

“You’re lucky that I’m already dead, and that you didn‘t use a silver blade or a stake,” Richard pointed out, but he didn’t laugh nor did he smile. “I also was lucky that I had a handy vampire on hand to help me out.” 

“Yeah,” Olli said, with a guilty down-turn to his eyes. 

He fell silent and shifted uncomfortably against the cushions beneath him.

“Why did you do it?” Schneider asked, and he sounded angry. “You could have killed him, you know. Do you hate Richard so much?” 

“I don’t hate him, Chris,” Olli all but shouted into the drummer’s face. “I never did. It was the rest of you who did.” 

“We never hated him, or Paul, either, not exactly,” Flake said, and he had begun to sound angry himself. “They made us uncomfortable, I admit, but I know none of us hated them.”

“While that’s good to know, we are still standing in the room, you know,” Paul said, and while his tone was joking, his expression was not.

His eyes were dark and angry, his brows were lowered and bright spots of deep pink flushed against his cheeks. Richard, despite his own discomfort and anger, reached for his lover, and massaged one large hand against Paul’s shoulder. 

“Sorry,” Flake said, but that one word didn’t come without an effort. 

“So why did you knife Richard?” Till asked, speaking for the first time in a while. 

“It’s like I said, it was like someone else was controlling me,” Olli said, as he turned an angry gaze onto Till. 

“That’s convenient. That could be construed as a figure of speech to cover madness,” Till snorted, as he partially turned away.

“I’m not mad, Till,” Olli said, sharply, as he raised suddenly dark and angry eyes onto the vocalist. “When have I ever shown any kind of instability since you‘ve known me?” 

“Not before you went AWOL last week,” Flake pointed out. “Since then you have been kind of creepy, if I’m honest.” 

“Where were you, anyway, at the weekend, Olli? I still don't believe that your phone wasn’t ringing or that you didn‘t get any of our messages,” Schneider said, with a frown. “Both Flake and I rang your mobile and your land-line so it wasn‘t through lack of trying on our part.” 

Olli sighed, and scrubbed one hand over his face, long fingers probing at his eyes gently as though he was getting a headache. He sighed again, before his hand fell away and he stared into space; Richard thought that it looked as though he was mentally preparing himself for a difficult situation and worse explanation. 

“I didn’t hear them, because I wasn’t even there, some of the time,” Olli said, slowly. “Either that, or I was dead asleep all day.” 

“That’s what we thought. So where were you?” Schneider asked, as he cast a glance towards Richard and Paul. “Girlfriend’s, perhaps?”

“I don’t remember,” Olli said, slowly, and a frown began to work its way across his face at that. 

“You must remember, surely,” Paul said, in disgust. 

“That’s it. I don’t. It’s just like a ... lost weekend, lost day or something,” Olli said, as he cast an angry look at the vampires. “All I can remember is that you two came to visit me on the Friday night. I went to bed soon after. I had some really weird dreams that night, something about blue-faced ghoul things wearing dresses or robes or something. They kept saying that you’d done something, or killed someone, or something; something that you needed to atone for, anyway and that they needed my help. I woke up the following morning with a rotten headache. I left for some fresh air, but I don’t think I got very far; I remember reaching the street and smelling this God-awful smell, like something had curled up and died in an alleyway or something. I went to investigate and the next thing I knew, I felt a blow on the head. I woke up ... somewhere else. I could hear the river nearby. There were loads of trees, so I’m guessing I must have been in the Tiergarten. The rest is just a blur; just shifting shapes and pain and fire in my head; it was like being tortured and drugged and experimented upon all at once. I can’t remember much beyond that. I came home on the Sunday morning and slept for most of the day. I left at some time in the evening, to get myself some pizza or something, then, the next thing I know I’m walking into my apartment, and you three were standing in the middle of it like you owned it.” 

His gaze flicked from Schneider, to Paul, to Richard, to the floor at his feet. 

“Surely you must remember more of what happened to you, than that; it‘s a bit vague,” Flake said. 

“That’s it, I can’t,” Olli said, frustration tightening his voice and narrowing his face. “Like I said, it’s all a blur and all that I know and can remember, I’ve told you.” 

“Surely you must - “ Flake tried again, yet Till cut him off with a sharp gesture of his hand.

“Leave it, Flake. Badgering him about it won't make him remember; if anything, it’ll have the opposite effect,” Till said, before he turned his attentions back to Olli again. “I’m sure it’ll come back to you, given time. As soon as you do remember it, I wanna hear about it. Immediately.”

He turned a frown onto Olli, who nodded obediently, silently, but the bassist looked far from happy about the situation. 

“I tell ya, it’s madness, all of it,” Flake mumbled, as began pacing the room. “Bloody weird-arse dreams, and knife attacks, and lost memories and God knows what else has been happening. Nothing else has happened, has it? Anything I’ve forgotten?” 

Richard and Paul exchanged glances, but otherwise maintained a guilty silence. 

“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes,” Till murmured, as he gazed upon the vampires wearily. “What is it you’re not telling us, guys?” 

“Well, we weren’t gonna say anything about this, but we did kill those two people last week,” Richard admitted, guiltily after a lengthy and heavy silence.

“What two people?” Schneider asked, darkly. “Why weren’t you gonna say anything?”

Richard looked helplessly to Paul, robbed of words in his uncertainty to quite know how to describe the chain of events that ended up with two dead bodies in the River Spree. Paul nodded, grim determination in his gaze, before he turned back to the others again. Paul explained as briefly as he could the circumstances surrounding the two people’s deaths and whilst the others didn’t look pleased, they at least heard his tale until the end. 

“We planned to keep schtum about it, because ... well, there is no easy way to admit to murder, really, is there?” Paul said, quietly. “Even when you’re a vampire, and that sort of thing is kind of expected of you.” 

“Jesus,” Till said, in an explosion of noise and anger. “Feeding from people is one thing, but actually killing them is another, guys. How could you do that?” 

“Well, we’re not exactly planning on doing it again. We didn‘t even want to do it the first time, not really,” Richard said, jaw clenched in anger. “There’s been enough recriminations from me alone, without you guys jumping on the damned band-wagon. It was a mistake, an accident, something born out of rage because of you guys. You‘ve either treated us with suspicion, diffidence or outright anger since our change. You‘ve gotta admit to that, surely.”

“Oh, right, okay, so it’s our fault now?” Till asked, angrily. “I’ll have to remember that the next time I get angry, you might just go out and kill someone.”

“Well, things are different now. We’re different,” Paul pointed out. “You guys can’t or couldn’t seem to accept that, and that bloody hurts. I don’t care whether we’re vampires or not, we’re still Richard and Paul, the same Richard and Paul whom you’ve known for years. We were frustrated, angry, we felt left out of the band that, might I remind you, Richard started. Who wouldn’t just go and do something stupid? Everyone hurts. Everyone slips and falls and does something they end up regretting, except in our case it was a monumental mistake. We’re vampires. We’re outside of the normal rules. We forgot ourselves and our own strength, I suppose.” 

“Yeah, but you killed two fucking people, Paul,” Till yelled. 

“Guys, let’s just stop fighting, huh? Enough. Paul’s right,” Olli said, with a weary sigh. “I don’t like the fact that they've killed people any more than you guys do, but don’t forget I did just try to kill Richard, whether it was against my will or not. I’m involved in this, too. Obviously there’s things that are so much bigger than us now and we have to learn to deal with this together. Richard and Paul need our help and our support more than they’ve ever done before. If we can’t give them that, then what is gonna happen?” 

“Right,” Schneider agreed, with a nod that sent dark curly hair shifting around his face. “We’ve already gotten a taste of what could happen. Do we really want this to escalate further?” 

He nodded towards Olli, who looked away, embarrassed, at the floor. 

“So what do you suggest?” Till asked, but he looked less than happy about the situation still. “We can’t just brush this under the carpet that easily, I hope you realise.”

“We’ll have to do the only thing that we can do - learn to deal with it, as Olli suggested,” Schneider said before Olli could. “And I mean, you also heard what Paul said earlier; okay, so they’re vampires, but they’re still Richard and Paul. It makes sense that they follow different rules than us now. What are we gonna do, anyway? Abandon them now? Report them to the police? What? D’you know what will happen to them if word gets out that they’re vampires? Prison. Laboratories, perhaps. Dissections and scientific experiments, too, no doubt. Can you really stand there and tell me that you want any of that to happen to them? No matter what they‘ve done?” 

He glared round at Olli, at Flake, at Till and every one of them dropped their gazes from his, unable to meet the anger in his eyes.

“Well? Do you?” he asked, when he didn’t immediately receive a response.

“No,” Flake said and his voice sounded very small. 

Olli and Till shook their heads but didn’t speak. 

“Good. What I thought, or rather what I hoped. Besides, you saw what happened when they were feeding from one another. I actually thought it looked ... kind of beautiful, actually. Not as scary as I thought that it would, actually,” Schneider pointed out and he shot an amazed glance at the vampires.

“Same here,” Flake surprisingly said, with a brief flicker of a smile that disappeared almost as soon as it had arrived. 

“Fine,” Till said, as he lifted both hands high in the air. “I agree that we do have to sort something out about the situation, whether I like it or not. We can’t carry on at each other’s throats; we’ve already proved, in the past, that that doesn’t work. But I hope you two vamps realize that it’s not gonna happen overnight. The acceptance, I mean. You killed two people, guys. You‘d better make fucking sure that it doesn‘t happen again.“

“I think we know that. When is anything ever easy in this band?” Paul asked. “I can’t believe we’re still stuck in the same position as we were a month ago.”

“Paul’s right,” Richard said, quietly. “This could go on forever; you guys being incredibly suspicious, leaving the pair of us feeling like the eternal outsiders because of it. It’s just gonna build and build and just explode one day. I mean, you’ve gotten a taste of what could happen already. It’s not pretty. I think the damage lies with you guys, not with us. Paul and I have accepted what we are, pretty much, and what we are to each other, too. Why can’t you?” 

“Yeah, but you’re practically fucking married anyway,” Till said, with a grumble. “You’d forgive each other anything.” 

“That shouldn’t matter,” Paul said, angrily. “You’re our brothers, our family. You should support us. Like you said, being a vampire is not that scary. It’s what Schneider said - it is actually quite beautiful. Exchanging blood can sometimes be better than sex, more intimate. Well, it is for me and I think I can say the same for Richard.”

“Yeah,” Richard agreed, dryly. “Except for the sex part. Nothing’s better than sex, Paul.” 

Paul’s laughter was sudden and bright in the tense silence, and even a couple of the others managed a smile.

“I guess there’s some sort of logic in what you're all saying,” Till finally conceded. “We’ve been through worse and we will again. We’re all alive and in one piece. I suppose. To a certain degree.”

He cast an uncertain look at the vampires, as though he wasn’t sure whether to still class them amongst the living or not.

“Yeah,” Paul agreed, firmly, before he fell silent.

His silence stretched out and extended over all in the room; they each stood in their own bubble of morose thoughts but none of them seemed willing to voice any of those ruminations aloud. Olli was the one who eventually broke the silence, hands clutching tightly at his head, an agonised yell splitting the air before him as he pitched face-forward onto the floor. 

“Not again,” he yelled. “Not again.” 

No one had a chance to react, because that was when the door to Till’s apartment splintered open in a burst of flame and spitting sparks.

***** 


	12. Chapter 12

All except Olli turned as one, as two robed figures floated into the room; the air was filled with the scent of rotting flesh. Paul felt a sudden stab of familiarity, mind immediately transported to the nightmares he’d shared with Richard; the robed figures were the same as those that they’d both been dreaming about, and one of whom had knifed Paul in the street the week before. Their faces were just about visible beneath the cover of their hoods, oddly elongated, with barely visible mouths, skin a dark blue, eyes a deep and shining red. 

“You have failed us,” one of them intoned as it stared down at the still floor-bound Olli. “You were supposed to kill those that killed us in turn.”

“I’m sorry,” Olli said, and he sounded as though the words were ripped unwillingly from his chest. “I'm sorry.”

“You failed us, puny ineffectual human,” the other figure said, and its voice was higher pitched, and more obviously female than the first figure‘s. “For that, you shall pay.” 

Both figures lifted their hands, sparking crackles of flames forming around their fingers; they seemed about to blow the flames in Olli’s direction, yet they never had the chance to follow through with the action. Paul and Richard surged forward and locked hands with the ghoulish newcomers, both vampires ignoring the pain of the flames that tickled and licked at the flesh of their fingers; the vampires wrestled the robed beings to the ground. The ghoulish beings fought back, hands gouging and clawing as the vampires fought them, bodies twisting and turning as they shouted and made a mess of the carpet again. The stench was unbearable. Rotten eggs and rotting flesh wafted around the room almost as though it had a life of its own, and the vampires weren’t the only ones who were gagging; the others were, too. 

Richard grabbed hold of his assailant’s neck and pushed, tried to break the being’s airflow and pushed harder still when it struggled; he forced the being’s head up in an attempt to perhaps break its neck and his fingers sank into soft and rotting flesh. He heard something tear, felt flesh and bone give beneath his hands and he bore down harder still, yelling to Paul to do the same. He didn’t check to see whether Paul had heard and was following his lead; all he was aware of that his lover still was in existence, that he still was close at hand and for that scant knowledge, he felt a surge of relief flooding through his body in an icy cold rush. 

Richard pushed even harder until he felt the being’s head give way and part from its body; he dashed to the window on impulse and tossed the head out into the street, where it bounced in the snow and shored up beneath the shelter of a parked BMW at the curb. Paul was beside him a few moments later and he threw the second robed figure‘s torn-off head out of the window, with much the same result. They stood at the window, checking to see whether the heads had been spotted, but nothing, and no one, moved below. Once they were satisfied that they were safe and unobserved for the time being, the vampires turned back to face the others in the room. Both Richard and Paul found themselves captured beneath the scrutiny of their friends and band-mates; all faces turned towards them wore the exact same expression of horrified fascination. 

“Well, bloody hell; I think you just saved our lives, guys,” Flake said, first, as a grin began to spread across his face. “D’you know how cool that looked? You just completely destroyed them. Their heads tore off and everything.” 

Paul started to laugh, despite himself, unsurprised over the fact that Flake was as impressed as he was; the others began to crowd round the vampires, chatting animatedly, even Olli, who seemed to have recovered from his earlier fit. Richard joined in with Paul’s laughter, glad for the sudden seeming reversal in acceptance from the rest of the band. They seemed suddenly ebullient and filled with thanks for saving their lives and for coming to the rescue. Olli even went so far as to cuddle each of them, arms warm and alive and forgiving against cold vampiric flesh; both vampires returned the cuddles eagerly, willingly, relaxing beneath the warmth that the others had begun to display, as Schneider launched into an excited blow-by-blow account of all that happened. 

“What the hell were those things, anyway?” Till asked, once Schneider’s excited babble had finally petered away into grinning silence. 

“Dunno. Ghouls, maybe?” Paul suggested, with a shrug. “Zombies? Someone come back to life to haunt us?” 

He looked to Richard, who nodded out serious corroboration.

“I think Paul’s right, guys,” Richard said, quietly. “Just a thought, but what if they were the couple that we killed the other day, returned to haunt us as zombies, or something. Think about what they said to Olli when they first came in, that he was supposed to kill us for killing them in turn. ”

“Maybe, but I’m not sure if zombies really can shoot flames out of their hands or anything,” Flake pointed out. “It never happened in the films, at any rate. All they did were shamble and groan and drool.” 

“That’s an apt description of our drummer in the mornings, isn’t it?” Till asked, with a straight face as he pointedly avoided looking at Schneider.

“Fuck you, Till, and your dumb drummer jokes,” Schneider immediately retorted. “I’m not that bad.” 

“Not quite,” Till conceded, as a grin began to push its slow and dry way across his face. 

Schneider turned away amidst the resultant laughter, yet even he was smiling, expression partially hidden by the fall of dark hair across his face. 

“Okay, so if they weren’t zombies, what were they?” Olli asked. “Obviously some kind of monster that could wield magic and possess people.”

“You know what we should do? Google it,” Paul suggested. 

“Whilst I’m not against doing that, don’t you think you’re forgetting something? Namely two headless bodies laying on my living room floor?” Till pointed out, a little gruffly. “I think you two should dispose of them.”

He glared at Paul and Richard pointedly, in a - _you made the mess, now you clean it up_ \- way. Richard sighed and nodded, before he turned to Paul.

“Back to the River Spree, don’t you think, liebling?” he asked, with a weary smile. 

Paul’s only response was to grunt and nod out his silent agreement.

****

The walk through Berlin was intermittent and shuffling, both vampires burdened by a headless body apiece. Each body was skillfully wrapped in a length of carpet, that Schneider had found in a skip at the back of Till’s apartment block, and had subsequently carved in half. The heads had been temporarily interred in two Lidl shopping bags which the vampires carried in their free hands.

“This is bloody ridiculous,” Richard cursed at Paul, as though the current predicament was the smaller vampire’s fault. 

“Shut up, Reesh, and carry on,” Paul said, yet his words were almost lost beneath gales of laughter. “This’ll all be over soon enough.”

“You would be enjoying this,” Richard said, even as he began to chuckle too. 

Paul merely shot him a wicked grin, yet remained otherwise silent. Their passage through slush-filled streets went mostly unobserved, and their burdens were soon sent to the bottom of the Spree once they’d reached the river’s slippery banks. They disposed of the heads in a separate part of the river, further downstream.

“D’you think they'll have the good sense to stay there, this time?” Richard asked, as they watched the bodies sink for the second time beneath the river’s surface. 

“I hope so,” Paul returned. “They’re missing their heads; no brain left.” 

“Hmmm,” Richard said, but he didn’t speak again.

****

“Guess those things you destroyed in my front room were some kind of revenant,” Till said, as Richard and Paul returned from their trip to the river. “Or so it says on Wikipedia, inasmuch as that site can be trusted.” 

“Do what now?” Paul asked, as he settled beside Olli.

“Revenant; kind of like a cooler version of a zombie, I suppose. They‘re undead beings, anyway, that come back from the dead to terrorise the living. According to legend and folklore, they’re supposed to rise from their grave if they’ve got unfinished business to deal with, such as exacting vengeance on those that killed them,” Olli explained, as he turned his gaze up from the laptop in front of him. “It says here that the word ‘revenant’ actually derives from the Latin word _reveniens,_ which means ‘returning.’”

“Makes a twisted kind of sense,” Paul grunted, but he didn’t look pleased by the prospect. “We didn’t exactly kill ‘em in good faith.” 

“It doesn't just stop there; there is a kind of revenant called a draugr, that belongs to Norse mythology; they’re supposed to have as much power and magic in them as a witch or a wizard would have. I’m guessing that those things who possessed me, and kept me prisoner in the Tiergarten were some kind of revenant; they were definitely no ordinary zombie, and they definitely weren’t ghouls, either. They were not flesh-eaters for a start. All that they were focussed upon was revenge,” Olli suggested, with a slight frown. 

“I suppose, but why possess you, exactly?” Flake asked, in confusion. “Why couldn’t they kill Richard and Paul themselves if that’s what they came back for?” 

“Perhaps they couldn’t kill us themselves,” Paul said, when no one else did. “They obviously tried.”

He tapped his shoulder where he’d been knifed by the robed figure in the street a few nights previously with a snort, before he continued. 

“They either can’t kill something so similar to themselves, that‘s already effectively dead, or they just don’t know how to kill vampires,” he said, with a shrug. 

“Unlikely, but lucky for us,” Richard murmured. “What about Olli’s involvement, then?”

“Okay, assuming they can only affect the lives of those that are living and breathing, they probably had to resort on manipulating a human to kill us for them, when they failed,” Paul continued, as he turned his gaze onto his lover. “They must have followed us to Olli’s, which is obviously how they even found out about him. They must have then laid in wait for him, kidnapped him, cast some kind of possession spell on him, and the rest, as they say, is history.” 

“That also explain why we smelt that bloody awful smell in Olli’s place the other night; it was probably the smell of the revenants clinging to Olli‘s body or something,” Schneider pointed out, before he turned his gaze to Olli. “Either that, or you had a dead rat in your place or you ate something that disagreed with you.”

“It was definitely the revenants,” Olli replied, sourly, even as laughter erupted from around him. 

“Hmm; makes about as much damned sense as anything else these days,” Till grumbled, with a disgusted huff, despite the laughter. “Anyway, enough about this undead shit; it’s almost Christmas, and we’re supposed to be having a party. Who wants a coffee?”

“Till,” Flake objected. “I don’t think this is hardly the time for that.” 

“There’s always time for coffee,” Till objected. “Besides, we can’t keep talking about this shit forever, Flake. Olli can’t remember what happened to him, Richard and Paul have got to get back home before the sunlight fucks ‘em up, and besides, I’m now stone-cold sober and I’m no longer feeling as mellow as I was earlier. I’m getting sick and tired of having you guys in my damned flat, anyway; you‘ve left me with the smell of bad eggs, a ruined carpet and God-knows-what mess left behind in my spare room. I can‘t believe I let you guys fuck in there, you know. I really must have been drunk.”

He turned a frown onto the vampires, yet there was slight teasing hidden behind the frown despite the attempted ferociousness of the expression. 

“Well, we can’t help getting aroused after feeding, Till,” Richard pointed out, with a huff. “Besides, you said it yourself - fucking’s better than feeding where friends are concerned. We did do you the courtesy of eating out, beforehand, instead of biting one of you guys. We couldn‘t very well fuck in the street.” 

“I dunno; it might be worth trying one night, Reesh,” Paul said, with his customary bright and cheerful grin.

“I think that statement alone calls for coffee, cake and a quick goodnight before I start killing the lot of you,” Till pointed out amidst a renewed burst of laughter. 

“Merry Christmas to you, too, Till,” Paul observed, amid much laughter from the others.

****


	13. Chapter 13

Richard slumped down upon the bed, soon after they returned home from the party at Till’s; he toed off his boots with a groan, as Paul settled beside him, weariness dragging his eyelids down across his eyes. 

“You okay?” Richard asked, as he nudged Paul with his shoulder.

“Yeah. I could ask the same of you,” Paul replied, as he turned a sharp-eyed gaze upon his partner. 

“I’ll live,” Richard said. “Or exist, whatever‘s applicable. This vampire business is messing with my head.” 

Paul laughed and nodded, but otherwise remained silent. 

“D’you think those revenant things really were that couple that we killed?” Richard asked next. 

Paul didn’t reply immediately; when Richard glanced in his lover’s direction, it was to see that Paul was staring up at the ceiling, a musing expression upon his face.

“Paulie?” Richard asked, lifting one hand to rest it upon the other vampire’s chin. 

Paul huffed out a sudden laugh at the contact, before he slid his gaze to Richard’s.

“I did hear; I was thinking,” he admitted. “To repeat what Till said earlier, it makes as much sense as anything else these days. I mean, that couple died a violent death; they couldn’t have been happy about it. It’s not like they chose to die or even wanted to. Why not come back and exact revenge on who killed ‘em?”

“Namely us,” Richard said, morosely. 

“Namely us,” Paul repeated, with a nod, but his face was grim. 

“Don't let me do it again, Paul,” Richard said, his tone sad. “Don’t leave me alone for a minute, for anything.”

“I won’t leave you,” Paul promised. “And I’ll do everything in my power to stop you from killing anyone ever again.”

He didn’t remind Richard that he’d killed as well, but the unspoken words hung between them all the same.

“I’ll keep an eye on you, as well,” Richard promised, softly, into the weighted silence. “We’ll be each other’s conscience.” 

“Good,” Paul said, as he turned into Richard's embrace with a smile. 

He didn’t say anything more, and he didn’t need to; instead, he stared at Richard, a wondrous look in his eyes and Richard couldn’t help but smile at him, and at the love he saw in the other vampire’s gaze, real and unguarded and almost innocent in its purity. Richard leant in and kissed him, and all the while, he hoped that Paul knew just how much he was loved in return. Judging by the neediness, and the roughness, in Paul’s kisses, Paul knew and reciprocated and Richard felt glad of it. 

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Richard said, after the kiss had ended. 

“Me, neither,” Paul said, just as quietly, before he fell silent again.

Richard sighed and cuddled in a little closer to his lover’s body. 

“You think Olli will remember what happened to him?” Richard asked.

“What, last weekend?” Paul asked, and didn’t speak again until Richard had nodded. “Maybe. Hopefully. I dunno. I guess all we can do is wait and see. Till’s right; forcing the issue won’t help. If he’s gonna remember anything more than what he already has, he’ll have to do it in his own time, at his own pace. Those revenant things obviously messed with his head so much, they affected his memory. God only knows what actually happened to him.”

“Hmm,” Richard replied, with a nod, gaze trained resolutely upon the floor. 

He was silent for a while, and Paul watched him, a slight smile softening his features as the ticking silence of their room surrounded them. 

“D’you think the others will be okay with us now?” Richard finally asked.

“I hope so,” Paul said, quietly, and his smile turned a little worried. “I’m sure everything will come out in the wash, as my mother used to say.”

Richard huffed out a dry laugh at that, before he said - “I suppose there’s nothing more we can do, but wait, anyway.” 

“Exactly,” Paul said, as he scrubbed one weary hand over his face. “Well, if you don’t mind, darling, I’m gonna go and have a shower and then I’m getting into bed. Wanna join me?” 

“In the shower, or in bed?” Richard asked, lifting suddenly hopeful eyes to Paul’s. 

“Either. Both. Whatever tickles your pickle,” Paul replied, with a shrug and the beginnings of an amused grin. 

“Both,” Richard said, firmly. “Definitely interested in both.” 

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Paul said, as the threatening smile grew into a grin. 

Richard laughed, but otherwise said nothing; instead, his actions spoke for him as he trailed after Paul into the bathroom, where they undressed and climbed beneath the jetting warm waters of their shower. Richard's hands were comfortable weights against Paul’s body, as he caressed him, explored every dip and soft curve of Paul’s body, fingers producing soft groans from Paul’s mouth as Richard stroked at the other vampire’s cock and finally brought him to gasping completion. Their love-making transferred from the shower cubicle to their bed, as Richard made love to his vampire lover until the sun threatened to rise above the horizon, heralding another day and the beginning of Christmas Day proper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okey-dokey, I’m afraid to say that this is it; this chapter marks the end of the current story, although this definitely isn’t the end of my Vampires in Berlin series. I love this ‘verse, and enjoy writing about Vamp!Paul and Vamp!Reesh. As such, I am planning to write quite a bit more about them. (I actually have more stuff that’s already (mostly) written to post ... whether anyone wants it or not, haha!!! Hard cheese if you don‘t; I’m still posting it, anyway, mwaha! XD No worries, I haven't forgotten the drunken vampire scene ... that is still to come!) 
> 
> I know I say this a lot, but I really do appreciate all the kudos/comments/reblogs of my stuff, on my account here and on my tumblr fic blog (I might not be the most frequent visitor on tumblr these days, on either one of my blogs, but please be assured that I am almost always aware of any comments/messages/whatnot, even if I might not respond to absolutely everything.) I cannot stress how incredibly appreciative of it all I really am. It‘s what keeps me writing, at the end of the day.


End file.
